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Southern  Branch 
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University  of  California 

Los  Angeles 


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DEC  1       1931 


NOV  1  8  193/ 


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SCHOOL    REPORTS 

AND 

SCHOOL    EFFICIENCY 


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THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK    •    BOSTON   •    CHICAGO 
ATLANTA   •    SAN   FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON   •    BOMBAY   •    CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


SCHOOL   REPORTS 


AND 


SCHOOL    EFFICIENCY 


BY 
DAVID   S.    SNEDDEN,    Ph.D. 

AND 

WILLIAM   H.   ALLEN,   Ph.D. 

FOR 

THE  NEW  YORK   COMMITTEE   ON   PHYSICAL 
WELFARE   OF   SCHOOL   CHILDREN 


Weto  gork 

THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

1908 

Ail  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1908, 
By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  February,  1908. 


Worfaootr  ^^tess 

J.  S.  Gushing  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 

Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


CONTENTS 

PACE 

Introduction vii 


The   Purposes    of  Educational   Statistics.      (Pro- 
fessor Snedden)      


II.    The   Beginnings  of  School    Reports   in  American 

Cities.     (Professor  Snedden)       .        .        .        .11 

III.  Efforts  of  the  National  Educational  Association 

TO  IMPROVE  School  Reports  and  to  secure  Uni- 
formity.    (Dr.  Allen) 20 

IV.  Examples   of   Tables   and   Other   Forms    of   Pre- 

senting   School    Facts,    used    in  Typical   City 
School  Reports.     (Professor  Snedden)     .        .      28 

V.    Important    Questions    not   answered    by    Existing 

Reports.     (Professor  Snedden  and  Dr.  Allen)     116 

VI.     Suggested  Economies  and  Improvements  for  School 

Reports.    (Professor  Snedden)    .        .        .        .128 

VII.     A   Practical  Study  of   One  School  Report  (New 

York  City).     (Dr.  Allen) 151 

Index 179 


INTRODUCTION 

The  origin  of  this  study  of  school  reports  dates  back  to 
1904,  when  the  board  of  education  of  New  York  City  an- 
nounced that  for  want  of  funds  it  must  curtail  its  vacation 
and  night  schools,  recreation  centers  and  popular  lectures. 

Representatives  of  several  civic  organizations  met  to  dis- 
cuss what  seemed  to  them  a  wrong  to  the  children  and 
parents  of  congested  districts.  Without  exception  they 
sided  with  the  school  authorities  against  the  fiscal  authori- 
ties who  had  demanded  school  retrenchment.  They  were 
about  to  vote  a  protest  when  one  delegate  asked  how  many 
people  would  be  injured  by  cutting  oflf  the  so-called  social 
features  of  the  schools.  No  one  knew ;  nor  did  any  one  know 
whether  there  was  any  truth  in  the  Comptroller's  statement 
that  the  board  of  education  had  money  enough  to  do  its 
intended  work  without  curtailment  if  it  would  use  economi- 
cally the  funds  already  voted  it.  The  protest  was  deferred 
and  a  Committee  on  Facts  appointed. 

An  investigation  was  conducted  by  the  Association  for 
Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor,  which  had  supported 
the  first  vacation  schools  in  1894,  six  in  1895  and  1896,  and 
ten  in  1897.  The  attempt  to  show  from  official  reports 
that  due  economy  was  being  employed  proved  futile.  In 
the  absence  of  proof  of  economy  and  efficiency  on  the  part 
of  the  schools  that  had  spent  the  money,  it  was  obviously  im- 
possible to  charge  with  bad  faith  or  error  those  who  demanded 
retrenchment.  Thus  an  inquiry,  started  (1904)  for  the  pur- 
pose of  increasing  the  school  appropriation,  ended   in  an 


Vlll  INTRODUCTION 

appeal  (1905)  to  the  board  of  education  to  get  more  service 
for  the  moneys  received,  and  to  adopt  records  and  reports 
that  would  "arouse  public  sentiment  when  the  occasion 
demands"  and  "defend  the  educational  value  and  the  cost 
of  any  and  all  of  your  educational  policies." 

The  adoption  of  business  methods  in  a  few  instances  by 
different  committees  resulted  promptly  in  savings  here  of 
$200,000,  there  of  $300,000,  now  of  $13,000  on  lead  pencils, 
again  of  $113,000  on  coal,  these  savings  being  used  for  ad- 
ditional service.  In  1906  the  board  of  education  finally 
adopted  resolutions  admitting  the  need  for  improved  account- 
ing, and  instructed  its  auditing  department  to  institute 
necessary  changes. 

During  the  period  1904  to  1906  several  grave  questions  of 
school  policy  agitated  the  public  mind,  —  part  time  vs.  full 
day;  "fads  and  frills";  free  meals;  flexible  grading;  pro- 
motion by  subject;  teachers'  salaries.  Almost  without 
exception  these  questions  were  discussed  on  theoretical  and 
personal  grounds,  just  as  if  New  York  had  been  without 
experience.  When  supposed  facts  were  offered  in  evidence, 
they  were  controverted.  Reports  did  not  help  settle  contro- 
versy as  to  fact.  No  one  ever  knew  what  the  truth  was; 
it  was  simply  known  that  this  or  that  side  won  or  that  the 
leaders  of  two  sides  had  "come  together." 

When  year  after  year  the  board  of  education  was  given 
a  million  or  two  less  than  it  asked  for,  it  seemed  clear  that 
the  children  of  New  York  City  were  paying  a  very  high  price 
for  want  of  information  as  to  school  conditions  on  the  part 
of  school  board,  fiscal  authorities,  newspapers,  and  volunteers 
anxious  to  increase  school  efficiency.  Would  the  same  method 
of  settling  school  questions  according  to  theory,  personality, 
or  compromise  be  used  in  meeting  the  demand  for  free 
lunches,  for  free  eyeglasses,  for  material  relief  at  school, 
for  a  revised  curriculum,  for  less  home  study,  for  correction 
of  physical  defects,  for  industrial  training  fitted  to  the  child 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

and  to  industry?  With  the  conviction  that  reasoning  from 
fact  to  policy  would  improve  policy,  enhance  the  efficiency 
of  the  schools,  increase  their  support,  and  settle  questions 
so  that  they  would  stay  settled  until  conditions  changed,  — 
the  New  York  Association  for  Improving  the  Condition  of 
the  Poor  obtained  funds  for  a  three-years  trial  of  the  fact 
method  of  interpreting  school  needs  and  school  merit.  The 
Committee  on  Physical  Welfare  of  School  Children  was 
organized  in  May,  1906,  to  undertake  the  following  pro- 
gramme : 

1.  Study  of  the  Physical  Welfare  of  School  Children. 

(a)  Examination  of    board   of    health    records    of 

children    needing    medical,   dental,  or    ocular 
care,  and  better  nourishment. 

(b)  Home  visitation  of  such  children,  in  order  to 

ascertain  whether  their  need  arises  from  defi- 
cient income  or  from  other  causes. 

(c)  Effort  to  secure  proper  treatment,  either  from 

parents,  or  from  free  clinics  or  other  established 
agencies. 

(d)  Effort   to  secure  proper  physical  surroundings 

of    children    while    at    school,  —  playgrounds, 
baths,  etc. 

2.  Effort  to  secure  establishment  of  such  a  system  of 

school  records  and  reports  as  will  disclose  auto- 
matically significant  school  facts,  —  e.g.  regarding 
backward  pupils,  truancy,  regularity  of  attendance, 
registered  children  not  attending,  sickness,  physical 
defects,  etc. 

3.  Effort  to  utilize  information  regarding  school  needs 

so  as  to  stimulate  public  interest  and  thus  aid  in 
securing  adequate  appropriations  to  meet  school 
needs. 
At  the  end  of  the  first  year  three  studies  are  ready  for 
publication : 


X  INTRODUCTION 

I.  Examination  of  the  Home  Conditions  of  fourteen  hun- 
dred Families  whose  Children  were  discovered  by  School  Phy- 
sicians to  have  Physical  Defects.  2.  Investigation  of  Fifty 
School  Buildings  in  Answer  to  the  Question,  Does  School 
Environment  cause  and  aggravate  Physical  Defects?  3.  A 
Comparative  Study  of  School  Reporting.  The  first  proves 
that  physical  defects  are  due  to  home  conditions  that  are  not 
confined  to  the  very  poor  nor  to  the  immigrant  parent,  and 
points  to  change  in  home  conditions  as  the  best  means  of 
helping  the  individual  child.  The  second  confirms  and 
explains  the  statement  recently  made  at  a  conference  on 
child  welfare  by  a  school  principal,  —  "Our  buildings,  our 
curriculum,  and  our  home  study  are  manufacturing  more 
defects  than  the  physician  and  nurse  and  dispensary  can 
correct."  The  third  study  is  here  presented.  For  its  con- 
tent the  Committee  is  chiefly  indebted  to  two  of  its  members, 
David  S.  Snedden,  Ph.D.,  Adjunct  Professor  of  School  Ad- 
ministration, Teachers  College,  and  William  H.  Allen,  Ph.D., 
formerly  General  Agent  of  the  Association  for  Improving  the 
Condition  of  the  Poor  and  now  Secretary  of  the  Bureau  of 
Municipal  Research.  The  idea  of  presenting  forms  already 
in  use  for  reporting  significant  school  facts,  we  owe  to  several 
school  commissioners  who  listened  with  scant  indulgence  to 
reasons  for  adequate  reports,  but  welcomed  heartily  concrete 
evidences  that  other  cities  found  properly  classified  school 
statistics  convenient  and  suggestive  in  directing  their  schools. 

We  know  no  better  proof  that  knowledge  leads  to  con- 
structive action  than  the  committee's  use  of  its  own  intimate 
knowledge  of  a  few  facts  regarding  physical  welfare  condi- 
tions. Thousands  of  children  have  been  given  fresh-air 
outings  and  winter  relief;  the  homes  of  these  children  have 
received  aid  when  needed  from  relief  agencies;  additional 
funds  have  been  secured  for  medical  school  inspection  and 
nursing,  and  a  proposal  defeated  to  use  $33,000  of  this  fund 
for  other  purposes;   a  hastily  considered  plan  to  give  away 


INTRODUCTION  xi 

eyeglasses,  regardless  of  parent's  ability  to  pay,  has  been 
postponed  if  not  defeated ;  hospitals,  dispensaries,  charitable 
agencies  are  cooperating,  so  far  as  they  know  how,  with 
principals  and  superintendents  to  secure  prompt  remedy  for 
physical  defects;  a  directory  of  dispensaries  and  hospitals 
has  been  prepared  for  the  use  of  principals  and  teachers; 
momentum  has  been  added  to  the  demand  for  healthy  chil- 
dren; no  little  part  has  been  played  in  showing  the  need  for 
physical  examination  of  all  children  in  all  schools  in  all 
sections  of  the  country  and  of  all  children  applying  for  work 
certificates.  Finally,  the  use  made  of  school  facts  shows  that 
the  volunteer  informed  can  accomplish  infinitely  more  for 
the  schools  he  aims  to  help  than  the  volunteer  half-informed 
or  uninformed.  No  public  activity  needs  the  intelligent 
cooperation  of  the  so-called  outsider  more  than  our  public 
schools.  When  public  education  associations  look  to  school 
reports  for  indications  of  need  for  volunteer  effort,  effective 
intelligent  cooperation  between  school,  home,  and  volunteer 
agency  will  be  possible.  It  is  hoped  that  this  publication 
will  not  only  help  individual  school  officers  in  their  efforts  to 
secure  effective  publicity  as  to  the  needs  of  their  schools,  but 
will  also  hasten  the  day  of  uniform  school  reports. 

The  New  York  Committee  on  Physical  Welfare  of 
School  Children. 

Charles  C.  Burlingham,  Chairman. 


CHAPTER  I 

The  Purposes  of  Educational  Statistics 

The  published  school  report  has  come  to  be  a  characteris- 
tic feature  of  school  administration  in  American  cities.  In 
the  larger  cities  this  report  has  become  a  plump  volume 
and,  as  a  rule,  is  published  annually.  The  major  part  of  the 
report  is  usually  prepared  by  or  under  the  direction  of  the 
superintendent  of  schools.  It  often  serves,  therefore,  as  an 
index  of  his  capacity  and  energy  in  directing  the  educational 
work  of  his  city. 

The  typical  city  school  report  is  made  up  largely  of  a  dis- 
cussion of  the  progress  of  educational  interests,  discussions 
and  exhibits  of  educational  needs,  and  a  series  of  tables  deal- 
ing statistically  with  the  main  facts  of  school  finance,  atten- 
^  dance,  etc.  Occasionally  many  pages  are  devoted  to  the 
^  names  of  teachers,  the  course  of  study,  and  the  rules  and 
^  regulations  of  the  board  of  education.  Sometimes  a  consider- 
,  able  part  of  the  report  is  taken  up  with  the  reports  made 
^^  to  the  superintendent  by  heads  of  departments,  supervisors, 
and  other  special  officers. 

On  its  face  the  city  school  report  emanates  from  the  board 
of  education  and  is  addressed  to  the  public  which  the  board 
serves.  The  larger  the  city  and  the  more  complex  its  edu- 
cational interests,  the  greater  the  need  for  some  regular 
channel  of  communication  between  members  of  the  board  and 
the  patrons  and  supporters  of  the  public  schools.  The  pub- 
lished report  may  be  said  to  have  been  evolved  to  meet  the 
need  for  this  communication.  The  democratic  and  local 
character  of  education  in  America  explains  why  this  report 


2  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

has  assumed  its  present  size,  form,  and  detail  of  development, 
so  unlike  the  reports  issued  in  foreign  cities  with  equally 
elaborate  systems  of  education. 

The  published  city  school  report  has  taken  its  present 
form  during  the  last  fifty  or  sixty  years.  Originally  it  was 
little  more  than  a  running  account,  periodically  published, 
outlining  the  organization  of  the  schools  and  showing  the 
amount  of  money  spent  on  them.  But  in  time  there  de- 
veloped the  custom  of  presenting  rather  elaborate  showings 
of  educational  facts,  and  for  compactness  and  intelligibihty, 
these  assumed  the  form  of  statistical  tables  which  are  now  so 
characteristic  a  part  of  the  report.  Probably  the  most  promi- 
nent condition  affecting  the  form  and  extent  of  these  tables 
has  been  the  obligation  of  the  city  to  report,  at  stated  inter- 
vals, to  the  state  educational  department  certain  facts  which 
had  to  be  arranged  in  statistical  form,  such  as  expenditure, 
census,  enrollment,  attendance,  graduations,  etc.  It  naturally 
became  customary  to  republish  in  the  city  report  the  tables 
prepared  for  the  state.  In  a  few  instances  it  is  found,  also, 
that  the  form  of  report  required  by  the  Bureau  of  Education 
at  Washington  has  determined  the  character  of  some  of  the 
tables  in  local  reports. 

A  second  cause  of  the  present  form  of  statistical  presenta- 
tion in  many  reports  can  be  traced  to  the  energy  and  initia- 
tive of  various  superintendents  who  have  undertaken  to  give 
in  most  effective  form  the  facts  concerning  those  phases  of 
administration  which  they  most  cared  to  affect.  In  some 
reports  careful  tables  of  teachers'  salaries  have  been  de- 
veloped under  the  influence  of  a  desire  to  improve  the  condi- 
tion of  the  teaching  force.  Distributed  tables  of  attendance 
or  graphic  presentations  of  these  facts  have  been  devised  to 
show  to  the  public  the  great  and  unwarranted  falling  off  in 
school  attendance.  Tables  showing  the  occupations  of 
parents  whose  children  attend  the  high  schools  have  been 
prepared  to  counteract  the  belief  that  these  schools  were  for 


THE   PURPOSES   OF   EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS  3 

the  prosperous  only.  Similar  causes  have  evolved  tables 
showing  relationship  between  age  and  grade  of  pupils;  the 
professional  education  of  teachers;  the  percentages  of  all 
children  of  school  age  who  are  found  in  school. 

Because  the  force  of  custom  is  strong  it  is  not  unusual 
to  find  that  extensive  tables  are  published  year  after  year, 
even  though  the  reason  for  their  original  publication  no 
longer  holds.  Not  infrequently,  as  a  result,  the  city  report 
contains  extensive  tables  that  are  probably  never  examined 
by  a  member  of  the  board  of  education  or  by  a  citizen.  Worse 
than  this,  the  tables  presented  are  often  simply  masses  of 
figures,  put  together  in  such  a  fashion,  and  so  lacking  in  con- 
densed interpretations,  that  the  average  reader  is  not  able 
to  extract  from  them  the  information  that  they  are  supposed 
to  convey. 

It  is  evident  that  in  any  city  school  system  there  is  avail- 
able for  publication  a  far  greater  mass  of  statistical  facts  than 
it  is  practicable  to  print.  Tables  of  indefinite  extent  might 
be  compiled,  even  from  records  at  present  available,  but  it 
would  be  a  useless  expense  to  print  these  tables  unless  such 
publication  served  some  distinct  educational  purpose.  Not 
infrequently  there  arises  a  popular  demand  for  informa- 
tion regarding  some  phase  of  education  and  in  response  elabo- 
rate tables  of  data  are  presented.  But  the  failure  of  the 
authorities  to  marshal  this  information  with  reference  to  some 
specific  end  prevents  the  citizen  who  cares  to  study  the  schools 
of  his  city  from  obtaining  any  clear  view,  and  the  effect  on 
school  administration  in  general  is  the  reverse  of  helpful. 
There  are  not  a  few  departments  of  local  and  general  govern- 
ment in  which  the  assembling  and  printing  of  statistics  have 
come  to  be  ends  in  themselves,  rather  than  means  to  distinctly 
conceived  ends  of  publicity  and  administrative  control. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  most  general  aim  in  the  pub- 
lication of  school  reports  has  been  pubhcity.  An  analysis 
of  the  several  aims  that  may  be  subserved  by  school  reports 


4  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

will  show  that  the  following  are  typical  as  determining  the 
character  and  standards,  especially  of  the  statistical  matter. 

a.  The  report  may  be  simply  a  restatement  of  the  facts 
and  figures  collected  for  state  or  national  statistics.  In  such 
cases  the  classification  and  form  will  be  vague  and  general 
from  the  standpoint  of  local  conditions,  and  will  lack  all 
semblance  of  interpretation  in  terms  of  local  conditions  or 
demands.  The  statistics  of  education  published  in  state 
and  national  reports  are  sufficiently  lacking  in  interpretation 
and  abridged  statement ;  and  when  the  tables  which  a  given 
city  has  prepared  for  those  reports  are  simply  republished, 
very  seldom  indeed  can  the  interested  citizen  or  local  legislator 
obtain  answers  to  specific  questions  concerning  local  educa- 
tional conditions. 

h.  Reports  may  present  statistics  of  education  or  other 
social  phenomena  in  such  a  way  as  to  interest  and  appeal 
primarily  to  the  student.  While  this  is  rarely  the  case  at 
the  present  time,  it  is  possible  that  with  the  introduction  of  a 
greater  number  of  specialists  into  the  school  systems  of  our 
cities,  there  might  develop  a  tendency  to  make  statistical  re- 
ports of  so  technical  a  character  that  only  the  special  student 
could  follow  and  interpret  them. 

c.  The  published  report  may  be  designed  primarily  for 
the  use  of  the  administrative  staff  of  the  school  system. 
Here  again  the  presentation  would  possibly  be  quite  tech- 
nical and  would  assume  such  an  acquaintance  with  the 
organization  and  procedures  of  the  school  system  as  could 
hardly  be  expected  from  the  layman.  For  the  administra- 
tive officers  it  would  be  possible  to  omit  much  in  the  way 
of  condensation  and  interpretation  and  explanation,  owing 
to  the  character  of  the  information  naturally  possessed  by 
the  administrative  officers.  Tables  of  statistics  organized 
primarily  for  this  purpose  would  prove  of  little  use  to  the 
layman.  It  happens  that  in  not  a  few  fields  of  professional 
work,  the  end  of  administrative  service  rather  than  publicity 


THE   PURPOSES   OF   EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS  5 

determines  the  character  of  published  reports.  But  in  most 
of  these  cases  pubHcity  in  the  ordinary  sense  is  not  a  promi- 
nent factor,  as  the  institutions  concerned  are  not  primarily 
supported  and  controlled  as  public,  and  hence  are  in  a  measure 
freed  from  the  obligation  of  publicity. 

d.  The  fourth  practicable  aim,  therefore,  in  statistical 
presentations  might  be  publicity,  in  the  sense  that  the  lay- 
man of  average  intelligence,  but  of  more  than  average  inter- 
est, might  have  the  information  he  seeks.  Back  of  all  our 
public  institutions  are  a  number  of  individuals,  laymen  of 
only  average  intelligence,  who  constitute  the  true  support 
of  such  institutions  in  that  they  mainly  determine  public 
opinion  as  it  affects  the  support  and  control  of  such  institu- 
tions. These  are  the  men  who  compose  the  boards  and  com- 
mittees and  who  stand  between  the  taxpayers  and  the  insti- 
tutions; these  are  the  people  who  should  possess  the  largest 
possible  command  of  the  facts  regarding  the  social  cost  and 
service  of  these  institutions.  Strong  sentiment  they  usually 
have;  but  knowledge  they  frequently  lack  and,  in  the  long 
run,  such  lack  of  knowledge  greatly  handicaps  their  effective- 
ness. 

The  school  report  may  be  designed  primarily  to  appeal 
to  this  class  of  persons  and  to  provide  the  facts  and  to  facili- 
tate the  deductions  that  will  affect  their  interest  and  action. 
It  is  entirely  possible  to  study  the  capacity  of  these  laymen 
to  deal  with  statistical  presentations.  While,  as  before 
stated,  it  seems  probable  that  many  school  reports  are  de- 
signed for  this  purpose,  it  is  no  less  probable  that  few  of  them 
at  all  adequately  serve  such  an  end. 

The  ends  of  efficient  publicity,  so  far  as  laymen  are  con- 
cerned, can  be  met  only  by  the  adoption  of  a  special  method 
designed  for  this  purpose.  What  this  method  is  we  are  but 
beginning  to  learn,  for  only  seldom  has  the  art  of  making 
and  presenting  statistics  been  turned  in  this  direction.  Not 
only  must   facts  be  presented   statistically,   but  they  must 


6  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

be  SO  presented  as  to  disclose  their  significance,  even  to 
the  hurried  reader.  Summaries,  comparative  statements  of 
totals  or  percentages,  so  arranged  that  the  eye  may  instantly 
perceive  relationship,  reductions  to  average,  or  other  and 
more  significant  digested  statements,  graphical  presentations 
—  all  these  are  among  the  devices  that  are  slowly  developing. 
Some  of  the  recent  reports  of  the  bureaus  or  departments 
of  the  national  government  indicate  an  extended  use  of  these 
devices  making  for  efficient  publicity ;  notably,  those  from 
the  bureaus  of  immigration,  census,  and  labor. 

For  the  layman  interpretation  is  certainly  not  an  unim- 
portant feature  of  all  statistics.  This  interpretation  is 
largely  a  matter  of  arrangement  and  presentation,  and  need 
involve  no  personal  element  on  the  part  of  the  compiler.  The 
approach  to  this  sort  of  publicity  must  be  largely  from  the 
side  of  questions  asked,  information  desired  on  specific 
points,  etc.,  and  in  light  of  these  questions  it  becomes  entirely 
feasible  to  marshal  material  so  that  the  questions  are  answered 
with  no  intrusion  of  personal  factors.  This,  of  course,  is 
not  always  the  case,  but  under  the  best  handling  of  statistical 
material  by  modern  methods,  it  is  more  feasible  than  is 
commonly  supposed.  Of  course,  we  do  not  ignore  the  fact 
that  there  is  much  in  the  way  of  the  interpretation  of  statistics 
which  can  be  accomplished  by  highly  refined  and  technical 
methods.  But  this  form  of  interpretation  rarely  applies  to 
the  type  of  question  that  may  be  asked  by  the  citizen  who 
is  concerned  with  the  ordinary  concrete  facts  of  administra- 
tion. For  him  an  abundance  of  information  can  be  supplied 
without  resort  to  technical  means. 

It  will  hardly  be  denied  that  the  last  two  of  the  purposes 
above  enumerated  are  those  that  ought  primarily  to  be  met 
by  the  published  school  report ;  and  of  the  two,  the  last  or 
publicity  aim  is  the  one  that  must  mainly  determine  the  form 
of  presentation. 

A  difference  must  be  noted  between  reports  made  to  the 


THE   PURPOSES   OF  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS  7 

superintendent  of  schools  by  the  supervisors  and  heads  of 
departments,  the  reports  of  the  superintendent,  auditor,  and 
committees  to  the  board  of  education,  all  of  which  may  be 
in  writing,  on  the  one  hand ;  and  the  published  report  on  the 
other.  For  administrative  purposes  the  written  report, 
except  possibly  in  the  largest  cities,  may  largely  serve  all 
necessary  ends.  These  written  reports  may  and  should  be 
very  extensive  and  should  include  the  statistics  of  a  variety 
of  activities  and  investigations  that  need  not  necessarily 
have  a  place  in  the  published  report.  For  this  reason  it 
ought  by  no  means  to  be  assumed  that  the  published  report 
contains  all  the  statistical  presentations  that  should  be  em- 
ployed in  administration ;  rather  it  ought  to  be  assumed  that 
the  published  report  presents  mainly  those  showings  to  which 
it  is  important  to  give  wide  publicity,  to  the  end  that  the 
patrons  of  the  school  and  other  interested  citizens  may  be 
able  to  procure  all  information  which  concerns  any  con- 
siderable number  of  the  public.  This  object  is  well  stated  in 
one  of  the  earlier  reports  of  the  Boston  School  Committee 
(1857)  when,  after  discussing  the  various  special  reports 
that  shall  be  made  to  the  board  by  the  several  committees, 
it  quotes  from  the  rules  of  the  board : 

"These  reports  shall  be  referred  to  a  special  committee  of  the  board, 
who  shall  make  from  them  such  selections  as  they  shall  deem  important 
for  pubHc  information,  and  shall  add  thereto  such  suggestions  and 
remarks  as  they  shall  deem  expedient,  and  their  report,  when  accepted 
by  this  board,  shall  be  printed  for  distribution  among  the  citizens. 

'"Evidently  from  the  foregoing  rule,'  reads  the  preliminary  section 
of  the  published  report,  'the  object  of  the  annual  report  of  the  school 
board  is,  not  to  discuss  theories  or  general  principles  of  education  for 
the  enlightenment  or  satisfaction  of  its  own  members,  but  to  present 
facts,  to  give  information  to  the  citizens  of  Boston  —  their  constituents, 
—  on  the  condition,  character,  wants,  claims  of  the  public  schools,  — 
that  great  system  of  public  instruction  which  these  citizens  sustain  in 
conformity  to  the  laws  of  the  Commonwealth,  and  at  an  expense  exceed- 
ing that  of  any  other  department  of  public  interest  or  service  in  the 


8  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

city,  —  and  to  discuss  principles  only  incidentally  and  in  connection 
with  these  facts.'" 


There  can  be  little  doubt,  then,  that  the  published  school 
report  should  be  regarded  essentially  and  primarily  as  a  com- 
munication from  the  board  of  education  and  the  superintend- 
ent of  schools  to  the  public.  It  is  designed  to  inform  the 
more  intelligent  and  interested  portion  of  the  public  as  to  the 
status  of  the  schools,  and  to  command  hearing  and  support 
for  the  progressive  policies  of  the  system  of  public  education. 
American  education  is  essentially  democratic.  It  relies 
on  the  public,  not  only  for  support,  but  for  endorsement  and 
encouragement.  Without  the  intelligent  cooperation  of  the 
public,  no  school  system  can  long  maintain  high  standards 
of  eflficiency,  and  must  largely  fail  to  realize  its  full  usefulness. 
Especially  in  proportion  as  education  grows  complex  and 
increasingly  expensive,  something  more  is  needed  than  vague, 
though  enthusiastic  faith  in  it,  if  progress  and  effectiveness 
are  to  be  attained. 

In  the  main,  the  methods  that  will  give  the  maximum 
of  publicity  regarding  school  facts  will  probably  result  also 
in  providing  the  most  effective  basis  for  school  administra- 
tion. The  effort  to  keep  the  system  close  to  the  people, 
and  the  exhibition  of  conditions,  progress,  and  results  which 
can  and  should  be  made  in  order  to  answer  the  needs  of 
publicity,  will  in  most  cases  produce  the  knowledge  and 
feeling  of  responsibility  that  most  fully  contribute  to  admin- 
istrative ends.  Hence  we  may  safely  say  that  the  primary 
standard  for  school  reports  should  be  effective  publicity, 
remembering  that  such  publicity  will,  in  the  long  run,  also 
very  greatly  contribute  means  and  incentives  to  administra- 
tive success. 

When  tested  by  such  standards,  what  can  be  said  of  the 
published  reports  of  the  American  cities?  The  next  chapter 
will  show  some  stages  in  the  evolution  of  such  reports,  from 


THE  PURPOSES   OF  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS  9 

which  we  can  easily  arrive  at  the  conviction  that,  considering 
conditions  as  they  once  were  in  education,  substantial  prog- 
ress has  been  made  in  the  direction  of  publicity  and  admin- 
istrative control  through  reports  and  especially  through 
their  statistical  features.  A  subsequent  chapter  will  show 
in  detail  what  may  now  be  found  in  the  way  of  exhibits  of 
facts  by  statistical  means  in  the  most  effective  examples 
found  in  contemporar}^  reports.  An  examination  of  even 
the  best  reports,  however,  will  show  that  only  in  certain 
respects  do  these  attain  to  any  full  degree  of  genuine  pub- 
licity. In  other  words,  many  of  the  questions  that  might, 
from  the  standpoint  of  civic  interest  or  enlightenment,  be 
asked,  remain  unanswered.  Owing  to  the  neglect  of  special 
fields  of  educational  inquiry,  or  to  cumbersome  and  faulty 
methods,  sometimes  to  apparent  unwillingness  to  inform 
the  public  fully,  many  of  the  reports  give  only  incomplete 
and  unsatisfactory  answers  to  the  questions  and  issues  that 
require  light.  Taken  in  a  composite  way,  however,  the  best 
contemporary  reports  present  devices  for  answering  a  large 
number  of  such  questions,  and,  thus  taken,  they  suggest  an 
arrangement  of  means  and  methods  that  might  and  probably 
would  result  in  a  form  for  a  report  far  superior  to  any  one 
of  them. 

In  the  light  of  the  showing  made  through  a  collation  of 
the  best  features  of  existing  reports,  it  would  seem  possible 
to  criticise  any  given  report ;  and  this  has  been  attempted 
in  Chapter  VII.  Let  it  be  repeated  that  to  present  statis- 
tical answers  to  all  the  possible  questions  that  could  be  raised 
regarding  a  city  school  system  would  require  so  much  space 
and  time  as  at  once  to  negative  any  such  proposal ;  but,  as 
will  be  shown  later,  one  of  the  primary  aims  in  educational 
statistics  should  be  to  accomplish  far  more  than  is  now  ac- 
complished in  any  given  report,  and  yet  with  less  expenditure 
of  time  and  money.  It  must  be  insisted  that  the  business 
world,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  competition,  has  evolved 


lO  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

means  and  measures  which  combine  the  ends  of  effective 
statistical  presentation  with  economy,  and  that  it  is  prac- 
ticable for  our  city  school  systems  to  do  likewise.  The 
problem  of  doing  so  is  not  wholly  a  simple  one ;  but  that  it  is 
capable  of  solution  no  one  can  doubt. 


CHAPTER  II 

The  Beginnings  of  School  Reports  in  American 
Cities 

The  main  features  of  city  school  reports  can  be  best  un- 
derstood if  we  make  some  note  of  the  evolutionary  steps 
in  their  development.  It  would  seem  that  the  custom  of 
issuing  formal  printed  reports  developed  during  the  second 
quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century.  During  this  period 
also  the  office  of  city  school  superintendent  began  to  assume 
something  of  its  present  proportions.  Until  very  recent 
years  it  did  not  exist  in  European  schools.  It  did  not  de- 
velop from  the  teaching  or  faculty  side  of  the  school  system, 
but  from  the  board  of  education,  which  required  the  services 
at  first  of  a  clerk  and  then  of  an  officer  who  could  combine 
with  his  knowledge,  of  clerical  duties  the  expert  knowledge 
necessary  to  inspect  and  report  on  the  work  of  the  schools. 

As  executive  officer  and  educational  expert  for  the  board, 
the  superintendent  was  expected  to  report  his  observations 
and  recommendations,  and  it  was  but  a  step  farther  to 
publish  his  report  as  part  of  the  annual  report  of  the  board 
of  education.  If  the  superintendent  was  progressive,  he 
made  careful  studies  of  the  needs  of  the  city  system,  and 
presented  elaborate  recommendations  to  his  board. 

Accompanying  this  movement  was  also  one  in  the  direction 
of  centralizing  the  administration  of  city  schools.  Orig- 
inally in  many  cities  school  administration  had  been  divided 
among  a  number  of  districts  or  wards  with  local  boards. 
As  cities  grew  and  educational  systems  were  consolidated, 
it  was  but  natural  that  statistical  methods  should  develop 
of  presenting  some  of  the  main  facts  with  which  administra- 


12  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

tion  was  concerned.  In  many  states  it  was  necessary  for 
a  city  board  of  education,  through  clerk  or  superintendent, 
to  make  an  annual  or  biennial  report  to  the  state  authorities 
regarding  such  matters  as  expenditure,  census,  attendance, 
graduates,  certification  of  teachers,  and  kindred  facts. 
Having  the  data  thus  available,  the  superintendent  would 
include  them  in  the  published  report  of  the  city  school 
system. 

Few  of  the  earliest  city  school  reports  are  now  available. 
It  would  appear,  however,  from  the  numbers  assigned  to 
subsequent  issues  that  Philadelphia  published  its  first  report 
as  early  as  1818;  Cleveland  in  1834  or  1836;  New  York 
and  Rochester  in  1843;  Syracuse  in  1847;  Chicago  and 
San  Francisco  in  1853;  and  St.  Louis  and  Brooklyn  in  1854. 

An  examination  of  the  earlier  accessible  reports  shows 
that  they  were  generally  not  unlike  the  reports  now  issued 
by  many  of  the  smaller  cities.  The  work  of  the  school 
system  was  described  in  a  popular  form.  Considerable 
space  was  given  to  the  discussion  of  new  theories  of  educa- 
tion, and  along  with  this  the  needs  of  the  system  were  por- 
trayed as  fully  as  possible  with  a  view  to  arousing  more 
extended  popular  support.  Often  a  directory  of  schools 
and  teachers  is  given,  together  with  salaries  and  grades  of 
certificate  held.  To  these  were  added  examination  ques- 
tions, courses  of  study,  programs  for  teachers'  meetings, 
lists  of  graduates  from  the  elementary  schools,  or  of  those 
who  had  succeeded  in  passing  examinations  for  admission 
to  the  high  schools,  and  addresses  by  members  of  the  board 
of  education.  Any  elaborate  presentation  of  educational 
statistics  was  rare.  Totals  of  receipt  and  expenditure  are 
usually  given,  classified  according  to  some  half  dozen  di- 
visions; also  the  totals  of  school  attendance,  sometimes 
distributed  among  the  different  schools;  and  occasionally 
some  other  facts  are  presented  in  tabular  form.  An  ex- 
amination of  the  statistical  presentations  made  in  a  few  of 


SCHOOL  REPORTS   IN   AMERICAN   CITIES  13 

the  early  city  reports  will  show  what  was  attempted  in  the 
best  of  them, 

Philadelphia's  17th  annual  school  report  was  published 
in  1835.  It  consists  of  twelve  pages,  giving  detailed  in- 
formation, in  form  of  running  account,  regarding  the  indi- 
vidual schools.  The  26th  report  for  the  same  city  (1844) 
consists  of  96  pages  and  shows,  among  other  lines  of  in- 
formation, the  following  facts  presented  statistically :  occupa- 
tion of  fathers  of  graduates  from  the  high  school;  average 
of  marks  made  by  the  candidates  from  various  elementary 
schools  for  admission  to  the  high  school,  with  number  ad- 
mitted and  number  rejected;  detailed  tables  for  each  school, 
showing  such  facts  as  attendance  divided  as  to  sex,  salaries, 
and  names  of  teachers ;  and  a  table  of  expenses  of  education, 
classified  by  wards. 

Cleveland's  21st  annual  report  (1855)  gives  tables  of 
attendance  in  the  various  schools  classified  by  subjects 
studied  (second  reader,  penmanship,  etc.),  and  also  a  census 
enumeration  of  children  distributed  by  wards,  together  with 
the  usual  brief  classified  statement  of  expenditures.  There 
is  detailed  description  in  tabular  form  of  school  buildings. 
Space  is  given  also  to  the  school  time-tables. 

Chicago's  3d  report  (1856)  contains  64  pages  of  matter, 
mostly  general  description.  There  is  in  addition  a  list  of 
teachers,  with  salaries  paid. 

New  Haven's  ist  report  (1857)  presents  to  taxpayers 
the  totals  for  ordinary  expenses,  with  itemized  account  of 
extraordinary  expenses.  There  is  also  a  two-page  table 
showing  in  detail  the  registration  at  each  school,  and  in 
each  grade,  for  each  of  four  terms. 

Boston's  School  Committee  published  in  1857  ^  well- 
printed  and  bound  volume  of  352  pages.  A  resolution 
notes  that  12,500  copies  were  printed.  Considerable  space 
is  given  to  long  lists  of  pupils  winning  medals,  and  to  the 
rules  and  regulations  of  the  school  committee.     Of  especial 


14  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

interest  is  a  detailed  description  of  school  buildings  in  tabular 
form  showing  such  facts  as  date  of  erection,  number  of  rooms, 
number  of  seats,  cost,  interest  payments,  character  of  heat- 
ing, total  number  of  pupils  registered  and  average  attend- 
ance, etc.  Another  elaborate  table  distributes  by  schools 
the  number  of  children,  teachers,  salary  totals,  and  cost 
per  pupil  in  average  attendance  in  terms  both  of  salary 
charge  and  of  additional  expense  charge. 

San  Francisco's  earliest  available  report  is  the  14th,  dated 
1867.  This  is  an  elaborate  affair,  and  includes  tables  on 
such  matters  as:  occupations  of  parents  of  high  school 
pupils;  comparative  salaries  in  several  large  cities;  lists  of 
teachers,  including  name,  place  of  education,  professional 
education,  diploma,  teaching  experience,  and  length  of 
service  in  California;  cost  of  education  of  pupils  per 
month  and  year;  detailed  salary  list  of  teachers;  and 
very  suggestive  detailed  statements  of  the  receipts  and 
expenditures  of  the  system  for  a  series  of  years. 

Syracuse  had  a  striking  statistical  feature  in  its  20th 
school  report  (1867),  i.e.  a  table  showing  the  main  facts 
regarding  pupils,  arranged  comparatively  for  a  series  of 
years.  Number  of  children  registered  in  the  system,  average 
daily  attendance,  total  cases  of  absence  and  tardiness, 
number  of  pupils  per  teacher,  cost  per  pupil,  amounts  paid 
for  salaries,  number  of  volumes  drawn  from  library,  and 
some  other  facts  are  thus  shown.  This  compact  table  would 
be  creditable  to-day. 

Table  i.    From  Report  of  Syracuse  Schools, 
1863-1867 

Number  of  children  between  ages  of  5  and  21. 

Number  of  children  registered,  exclusive  of  those  transferred. 

Number  of  children  belonging  (approximate). 

Number  of  children  average  daily  attendance. 

Number  of  days  absence. 


SCHOOL   REPORTS   IN   AMERICAN   CITIES  15 

Number  of  cases  of  tardiness. 

Time  lost  in  hours. 

Number  of  teachers  employed  at  close  of  year. 

Number  of  pupils  per  teacher  on  average  number  belonging. 

Number  of  pupils  per  teacher  on  average  attendance. 

Cost  of  tuition  per  pupil  on  average  number  belonging. 

Cost  for  entire  expenses  per  pupil,  exclusive  of  building,  etc. 

Number  of  pupils  attending  winter  school. 

Number  of  volumes  in  Central  Library^ 

Number  of  volumes  drawn  during  year. 

Amount  paid  for  teachers'  wages. 

Amount  paid  for  other  expenses. 

Total  expenses,  exclusive  of  buildings. 

Another  table  from  the  Syracuse  report  shows  expenses 
of  the  system  distributed  by  schools,  though  not  reduced 
to  unit  basis  for  comparison.  Place  is  given  in  this  report 
for  detailed  statement  of  attendance  at  teachers'  meetings. 

Rochester's  earliest  available  report,  the  29th  (1872), 
is  a  substantial  book  of  188  pages.  Table  No.  i  shows 
average  number  of  teachers  in  each  school,  total  sums  paid 
for  salaries  in  each,  and  the  customary  facts  of  registration. 
Table  No.  2  is  an  exhibit  of  the  ages  of  the  pupils  in  each 
school,  giving  a  column  for  each  year  between  the  ages  of 
five  and  twenty.  Table  No.  3  shows  attendance  in  each 
school  by  months.  Another  valuable  table  shows  for  each 
school  the  number  of  pupils,  by  two  month  groups,  who 
made  the  respective  attendances;  of  a  full  ten  months,  of 
less  than  ten  and  more  than  eight  months,  of  less  than  eight 
and  more  than  six  months,  etc.,  —  these  also  averaged. 
Another  table,  distributed  again  for  schools,  shows  the  num- 
ber of  children  by  grades  and  the  sittings  in  each  school. 
Still  another  table  shows  the  number  of  pupils  of  each  school, 
taking  the  various  studies.  In  Table  No.  8  an  attempt 
is  made  to  show  the  work  of  the  respective  schools  by  giving, 
for  each  school  and  for  each  grade  in  each  school,  the  average 
percentage  made  in  the   annual   examinations.     The  next 


l6  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

table  shows  the  number  of  pupils  promoted  out  of  each 
grade  and  by  schools.  By  careful  arrangement  there  is  thus 
compacted  into  nine  pages  an  extensive  and  varied  amount 
of  information,  worked  out  to  much  detail,  for  a  school 
system  registering  over  eight  thousand  pupils. 

The  i6th  St.  Louis  report  (1870)  is  another  that  shows, 
at  a  relatively  early  date,  an  extensive  use  of  the  statistical 
method.  A  double  page  table  shows  the  expenditures  for 
each  school  classified  under  nine  main  heads.  Another 
double  page  shows  the  following  facts  regarding  plant: 
location  of  building,  front  and  depth  measurements  of  lots; 
names  of  schools;  estimated  value  of  land;  estimated 
value  of  houses  and  furniture  for  each  school ;  size  of  build- 
ings; number  of  stories;  number  of  rooms;  number  of 
seats ;  and  character  of  heating.  Table  No.  2  shows  for  each 
school  the  total  enrollment,  and  the  attendance  distributed  by 
twenty  day  groups,  i.e.  the  number  of  pupils  in  each  school 
who  have  made  200  days  attendance,  the  number  who  have 
made  more  than  180  and  less  than  200  days  attendance,  etc. 
A  separate  set  of  tables  is  given  for  the  colored  schools.  Table 
No.  3  gives  the  age  distribution  of  pupils  in  each  school. 
One  regrets  that  it  did  not  occur  to  the  compiler  of  the 
statistics  to  adopt  a  simple  device  by  which  he  could  have 
shown  the  relation  of  age  to  grade;  but  this  is  done  even 
at  the  present  time  in  very  few  reports.  A  novel  feature 
is  a  carefully  compiled  table  showing  the  occupations  of 
parents  or  guardians  of  all  children,  —  items  given  first 
with  regard  to  pupils  in  the  high  schools,  evidently  with 
a  view  to  refuting  the  charge  that  these  schools  were  for  the 
wealthy  classes.  Another  unique  table  is  one  showing,  by 
schools,  the  birthplaces  of  pupils  registered.  Table  6, 
the  excellence  of  which  is  equaled  in  few  more  recent  reports, 
presents  on  a  double  page  the  facts  (distributed  by  schools) 
regarding  enrollment,  duplicate  registration,  average  num- 
ber belonging,   average   number  of  teachers,   expenditures 


SCHOOL   REPORTS   IN   AMERICAN    CITIES  17 

for  teachers'  salaries,  rate  per  pupil  for  salaries,  incidental 
expenditures,  and  rate  per  pupil,  etc.  Another  table  shows, 
by  schools,  the  number  of  pupils  in  each  grade  receiving 
instruction  in  German,  numbers  of  these  of  German  and  of 
Anglo-American  nativity,  also  the  proportion  of  each  school 
taking  German.  Still  another  valuable  table  shows  salaries 
paid  to  teachers  for  each  school  and  each  salary  class,  e.g. 
all  those  receiving  $400  per  year,  all  receiving  $500,  etc. 
Another  table  shows  for  twenty  years  the  early  growth  of 
the  school  system  in  number  of  schools,  number  of  seats, 
number  of  pupils,  number  of  teachers,  receipts,  expenditures, 
etc.  Still  another  table  shows  the  growth  of  the  high  school 
for  seventeen  years,  the  boys  and  girls  in  each  class  for  each 
year,  etc.  Finally,  not  the  least  interesting  feature  of  this 
old  report  is  the  fact  that  the  various  tables  are  discussed  by 
the  superintendent  so  as  to  suggest  their  significance  to  any 
reader  interested  in  the  progress  of  education.  It  should 
be  noted  that  many,  though  not  all,  of  the  excellent  statistical 
features  of  the  St.  Louis  reports  had  developed  prior  to  1870. 
For  example,  the  report  issued  in  1866  under  the  superin- 
tendency  of  Ira  Divoll  shows  many  of  the  suggestive  tables 
noted  above. 

What  appears  to  have  been  the  eighth  annual  report  of 
the  board  of  education  of  New  York  was  published  in  1850. 
It  is  a  closely  printed  volume  of  130  pages.  Scattered 
through  it  are  numerous  tables  that  group  the  facts  of  at- 
tendance, expenditure,  etc.,  by  city  wards.  Fairly  definite 
statistics  are  presented  regarding;  salaries  of  teachers; 
number  of  pupils  in  each  ward  classified  by  sex;  three  age 
groups  {i.e.  under  sixteen,  between  sixteen  and  twenty-one, 
and  over  twenty-one,  and  also  classified  by  degree  of  ad- 
vancement, e.g.  "could  not  read,"  "lowest  grade  of  reading," 
"acquainted  with  the  simple  rules  of  arithmetic,"  etc.); 
attendance  distributed  by  typical  weeks.  An  interesting 
comparative  table  shows  the  result  of  an  examination  of 


l8  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

the  pupils  in  several  wards,  the  effect  of  which  is  to  indicate 
the  relative  efficiency  of  the  schools. 

Of  school  reports  issued  since  1870,  it  may  be  said  that 
very  few  indeed  have  risen  to  a  higher  level  of  statistical 
efficiency  than  did  the  best  of  that  date.  It  is  a  conspicuous 
fact  that  there  has  been  so  little  conformity  to  any  generally 
accepted  plan  of  presenting  educational  statistics  that  it  is 
even  yet  quite  impossible  to  compare  one  city  with  another, 
from  their  published  reports,  even  in  the  matter  of  school 
expenditure,  the  statistics  of  which  show  the  most  com- 
plete development.  Each  city  has  evolved  local  forms 
and  methods,  and  in  each  city  the  report  reflects  the  quality 
of  the  man  chiefly  responsible  for  its  making.  A  few  cities 
established  the  tradition  of  publishing  certain  statistics  in 
a  chronological  order,  so  that  it  becomes  possible  to  view 
the  progress  of  education  in  that  city  over  a  long  series  of 
years.  In  other  reports,  despite  the  frequent  changes  of 
superintendent,  certain  forms  of  statistical  statement  have 
become  traditional,  so  that  it  is  possible  for  the  student  to 
compare  the  development  of  the  system  year  by  year  through 
an  examination  of  old  reports. 

The  National  Educational  Association  became  effective 
about  1870  as  a  factor  in  education,  and  in  its  division  of 
superintendence  many  efforts  have  been  made  to  improve 
the  matter  of  school  statistics.  But  it  can  hardly  be  said 
that  any  distinct  improvement  in  m^ethods  of  school  report- 
ing has  taken  place  in  nearly  forty  years.  The  best  of  the 
reports  noted  above,  in  their  statistical  work,  are  not  in- 
ferior to  most  of  the  reports  of  to-day.  Some  forms  of 
summary  or  general  report  have  been  suggested  from  time 
to  time  by  the  National  Educational  Association  through 
committees,  but  these  have  not  been  widely  adopted.  At 
their  best  the  city  school  reports  of  to-day,  as  in  1870,  pre- 
sent valuable  tables  and  a  few  interpretations  of  these  tables. 
They  answer  some  of  the  questions  that  an  intelligent  lay- 


SCHOOL  REPORTS    IN   AMERICAN   CITIES  19 

man  might  wish  to  ask,  and  they  provide  some  of  the  data 
for  administrative  control  of  the  system  of  administration. 
Even  the  best  of  the  reports,  however,  leave  many  questions 
unanswered,  and  few  of  them  have  undertaken  to  apply 
modern  or  scientific  statistical  methods.  Apart  from  the 
few  best  reports,  it  must  be  said  that  the  majority  of  the 
reports  fail  conspicuously  to  provide  statistical  information 
either  to  the  layman  or  to  the  administrator.  They  illus- 
trate a  striking  phase  of  inefficiency  in  American  municipal 
administration. 


CHAPTER   III 

Efforts  of  the  National  Educational  Association  to 
IMPROVE  School  Reports  and  to  secure  Uniformity 

Nowhere  has  the  need  for  school  facts  as  the  basis  for 
school  policy  been  more  emphatically  and  convincingly 
presented  than  at  the  sessions  of  the  National  Educational 
Association.  Not  only  have  superintendents  been  advised 
to  analyze  statistically  and  to  interpret  their  own  experience, 
but  they  have  been  repeatedly  exhorted  to  use  a  common 
language,  uniform  statistical  blanks,  in  describing  their 
experience.  In  the  year  1905  Miss  Halle  D.  Woods  of  the 
New  York  Association  for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the 
Poor  read  the  reports  of  the  National  Educational  Association 
from  1858  to  1905  and  prepared  a  digest  of  all  discussions 
of  statistics  of  schools.  With  her  permission  we  are  pre- 
senting in  brief  the  essential  facts  to  make  matter  of  per- 
manent record  the  effort  of  the  country's  foremost  educators 
to  improve  school  reports  and  to  secure  their  uniformity. 

The  subject  of  school  statistics  was  seriously  considered 
during  the  years  1859,  1863,  1872,  1874,  1877,  1881,  1885, 
1886,  1887,  1889,  1890,  1891,  1892,  1895,  1897,  i^99>  19°°' 
1903,  1904. 

At  its  second  meeting  (1859)  the  National  Educational 
Association  appointed  a  committee  of  three  to  confer  with 
the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  "to  ascertain  what  additional 
statistics  in  relation  to  the  subject  of  education  are  desirable 
and  feasible  to  obtain  by  means  of  the  approaching  national 
census."      A    list    of    important    items    recommended    for 


UNIFORMITY    OF   SCHOOL   REPORTS  21 

school  reports  included:  (i)  cost  of  buildings  and  the 
number  of  pupils  accommodated;  (2)  number  and  salaries 
of  teachers  in  these  buildings;  (3)  expense  of  heat;  (4) 
repairs  and  incidentals.  "These  items,"  they  commented, 
"if  reliable  and  accompanied  by  proper  explanations  in 
the  body  of  the  report,  will  afford  valuable  means  of  com- 
parison, and  be  serviceable  in  showing  the  most  economical 
modes  of  constructing  schoolhouses  and  organizing  schools." 
Perhaps  the  most  valuable  part  of  the  committee's  report  was 
that  noting  the  difficulty  of  ascertaining  and  comparing  the 
cost  per  pupil  in  different  districts.  There  were  many 
variations  of  terminology,  a  difference  of  50  per  cent  being 
produced  by  a  variation  in  method  of  recording.  The 
committee  therefore  pleaded  for  uniformity  and  urged  that 
as  long  as  differences  existed  reports  should  clearly  explain 
their  nomenclature. 

In  1863  a  Committee  on  General  Statistics  was  appointed 
to  prepare  blanks  covering  the  field  of  general  statistics,  to 
send  out  to  schools  throughout  the  country,  to  digest 
reports  when  returned,  and  to  present  a  synopsis  at  the 
next  annual  meeting.  Nothing  further  was  heard  from 
this  committee. 

In  1872  the  Hon.  John  Eaton,  United  States  Commissioner 
of  Education,  delivered  an  address  on  the  subject  of  Edu- 
cational Lessons  in  Statistics,  emphasizing  again  the  two 
watchwords,  comparison  and  uniformity.  Educational 
statistics  were  characterized  as  "so  diverse  and  incomplete 
that  they  form  but  the  records  of  so  many  single  experiences, 
incapable  of  being  aggregated  or  contrasted  with  each  other." 
He  pleaded  for  a  legalized  system  of  comparable  reports. 
Others  present  voiced  the  wonder,  which  we  now  feel,  that 
a  National  Commissioner  of  Education  who  realized  the 
need  for  uniformity  should  have  failed  to  reduce  his  own 
valuable  material  to  a  comparable  basis.  What  would  have 
been  the  gain  to  education  in  this  country  if  at  that  time  the 


22  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

National  Bureau  of  Education  had  secured,  as  it  undoubtedly 
could  have  secured,  uniform  records  from  the  various  states, 
more  particularly  from  the  cities  ! 

In  1874  a  Committee  on  Statistical  Reforms  suggested  a 
uniform  system  of  collecting  and  tabulating  educational  facts. 
The  National  Educational  Association  adopted  the  report,  and 
authorized  the  printing  and  distribution  in  each  state  of  blanks 
calling  for  uniform  statistics  as  to  school  population,  age,  aver- 
age in  daily  attendance,  number  of  rooms,  teachers,  and 
salaries  as  well  as  items  of  income  and  expenditure.  Results 
were  to  be  tabulated  by  the  National  Bureau  of  Education. 
As  usually  happens  when  representative  bodies  vote  decrees 
without  supplying  funds  for  executing  those  decrees,  nothing 
came  of  the  results,  and  in  1877  a  speaker  pronounced  the 
statistics  of  that  day  "almost  useless  at  home  and  absolutely 
useless  abroad  as  standards  of  comparison."  Among  the 
causes  for  these  useless  statistics  were  mentioned  public 
indifference,  official  indifference,  lack  of  authority  on  the 
part  of  officials  to  secure  proper  returns,  lack  of  uniform 
understanding  as  to  meaning  of  terms,  and  an  endeavor  on 
the  part  of  those  who  compile  statistics  to  prove  certain 
preconceived  opinions. 

In  1881  a  committee  of  ten  on  Unification  of  School  Statis- 
tics was  appointed  as  a  result  of  a  discussion  introduced  by  Su- 
perintendent Andrew  McMillan  of  Utica.  There  is  no  record 
in  the  annals  of  the  National  Educational  Association  of  work 
done  by  this  committee.  Lack  of  uniformity  was  characterized 
as  follows:  "With  the  ample  provision  made  by  the  govern- 
ment for  collecting  facts  connected  with  schools,  it  would  seem 
that  we  have  but  to  turn  to  official  reports  to  obtain  all  de- 
sired information.  But  it  is  just  here  we  are  confronted  by 
an  obstacle  of  no  small  dimensions,  and  which,  so  far  as  I 
know,  exists  nowhere  else  in  the  wide  domain  of  statistical 
research.  I  refer  to  the  lack  of  uniformity  in  the  methods  of 
collecting  facts  and  data  pertaining  to  school  work  in  the 


UNIFORMITY  OF  SCHOOL   REPORTS  23 

different  states  of  the  Union  .  .  .  School  reports  are  nearly 
useless  for  purposes  of  useful  comparison." 

In  1885  a  careful  study  of  existing  city  and  state  reports 
was  presented.  After  applauding  at  length  the  merits  of 
American  school  reports  and  their  reputation  abroad,  va- 
rious defects  were  brought  out,  more  particularly  lack  of 
uniformity  and  consequent  impossibility  to  establish  units  of 
comparison.  For  example,  the  term  school  age  was  found  to 
have  sixteen  interpretations  ranging  from  4  to  75  to  16  to  21. 
Thus  it  was  possible  for  Springfield,  Mass.,  and  Portland, 
Me.,  to  report  a  difference  of  4000  in  school  population  be- 
cause of  a  difference  in  the  years  included  in  school  age, 
although  their  total  population  was  practically  the  same. 
Perhaps  the  reason  so  little  came  from  this  discussion  and  the 
committee's  eighteen  recommendations  as  to  annual  reports, 
is  that  they  were  perfectly  satisfied  to  have  the  legal  and 
census  school  age  from  4  to  21,  thus  including  children  too 
young  to  go  to  school  and  too  old  to  go  to  school.  Aside 
from  the  usual  emphasis  on  the  importance  of  uniform 
nomenclature  and  a  resolution  that  further  committees  be 
appointed  to  consider  uniform  methods,  this  discussion  led 
to  one  important  recommendation ;  namely,  that  all  reports 
begin  with  a  statistical  summary.  At  another  section  of  the 
same  conference  the  Committee  on  Reform  in  Educational 
Statistics  presented  an  elaborate  scheme  covering  school 
population  with  10  subdivisions;  departments  of  educational 
work,  4  subdivisions;  teachers,  buildings,  and  appliances, 
6  subdivisions;  finances,  including  receipts,  6  subdivisions; 
expenditures,  6  subdivisions.  As  a  result  of  this  work  there 
was  marked  improvement  in  the  increasing  tendency  to 
uniformity  as  well  as  to  elaboration  in  the  reports  of  state 
superintendents. 

In  1887  a  report  was  presented  on  "Points  for  Constant 
Consideration  in  the  Statistics  of  Education."  There  was 
the  same  eloquent  declaration  that  "the  more  nearly  statistics 


24  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

approach  a  universal  language  the  better;"  but  no  new  ideas 
were  contributed.  It  was  still  possible  for  Mr.  Gove  of 
Denver  to  say  "Volunteer  statistics  are  monstrously  unre- 
liable ;  city  statistical  reports  are  jammed  full  of  tables  whose 
conclusions  cannot  be  made  use  of.  We  need  a  positive 
authority  to  put  questions  and  demand  answers;  a  power 
above  us  to  get  reliable  statements  of  fact."  (Referring  to 
state  and  national  superintendents  and  to  professional  stand- 
ards among  schoolmen.) 

In  1887  we  hear  the  first  suggestion  that  physiology  and 
social  conditions  might  be  reflected  in  school  statistics: 

"Of  average  pupils  little  need  be  said;  but  with  erratic  cases  many 
statistics  might  be  collected  which  would  be  invaluable.  If  a  pupil 
makes  a  poor  record  in  a  certain  subject,  it  would  be  interesting,  as  an 
educational  fact,  to  know  his  age,  habits,  how  long  in  a  public  school, 
his  teachers,  how  long  under  each  one,  whether  he  had  private  teachers, 
home  influences,  tendencies  of  his  parents'  minds;  in  short,  to  know  the 
boy  as  he  is.  School  statistics  should  enter  into  the  social  conditions  of 
the  people." 

In  1890  the  Department  of  Superintendence  heard  of  the 
need  for  proper  "School  Statistics  as  the  Basis  of  Legislative 
or  Official  Action:  What  Should  Be  Collected  and  How?" 
The  advanced  ground  was  taken  that  "to  secure  the  best 
results  in  legislation,  statistics  of  education  must  be  taken 
as  complementary  to  other  social  statistics,  as  illiteracy, 
crime,  and  wealth."  What  might  have  been  of  greater 
importance  is  the  emphasis  upon  making  immediate  or  local 
application  of  statistics  for  the  benefit  of  the  schools  analyzed 
and  compared.  That  statistics  were  being  used  by  many 
superintendents  to  bolster  up  official  policy  rather  than  to 
disclose  school  need,  is  suggested  by  the  remark  of  Dr.  Win- 
ship,  Editor  of  the  Journal  0}  Education,  —  "We  throw 
out  our  banners,  commit  ourselves  to  our  idea,  and  then  back 
up  such  and  so  many  statistics  as  will  enable  us  to  make  a 
skillful  argument." 


I 


UNIFORMITY   OF  SCHOOL   REPORTS  25 

In  1891  Dr.  Harris,  Commissioner  of  the  United  States 
Bureau  of  Education,  as  Chairman  of  a  committee  of  three, 
reported  on  school  statistics.  (The  report  was  really  a  scien- 
tific article  on  the  meaning  and  value  of  statistics  in  general 
and  of  educational  statistics  in  particular.)  The  essence  of 
his  message  was  "directive  power  is  dependent  upon  insight 
into  the  forces  that  work,  which  insight  is  to  be  gained  only  by 
statistics.  This  insight  is  of  even  greater  value  to  the  educa- 
tors who  are  doing  the  work  than  to  the  legislators  who  are 
judging  their  work."  The  Association  received  a  letter  from 
the  United  States  Census  Bureau  protesting  that  "no  item  of 
school  statistics  is  now  uniformly  recorded  throughout  the 
country"  and  outlining  desirable  statistical  information 
similar  to  the  scheme  previously  presented. 

In  1892  a  more  elaborate  form  of  reporting  was  sub- 
mitted, based,  however,  on  the  same  general  plan  as  before, 
with  the  larger  number  of  subdivisions  including  a  few  items 
regarding  social  conditions. 

In  1894  Commissioner  Harris  read  a  paper  on  School 
Statistics  and  Morals,  deducing  certain  relations  between 
lack  of  education  and  crime. 

In  1895  further  suggestions  were  made  for  reports. 

In  1899  the  Department  of  Superintendence  discussed 
uniform  financial  reports. 

In  1900  high  school  statistics  was  the  special  subject,  a 
paper  being  based  upon  comparison  of  23  cities  as  to  average 
cost  of  maintaining  high  schools  per  pupil  enrolled  and  per 
pupil  in  average  attendance.  Of  special  value  are  recommen- 
dations as  to  collecting,  tabulating,  and  reporting  information 
on  the  comparative  persistence  of  attendance  during  the  four 
years  of  high  school  work,  together  with  special  investigations 
as  to  manual  training  schools,  their  work,  and  their  discover- 
able results.  Superintendent  Greenwood  of  Kansas  City 
made  this  subject  vital  by  showing  results  of  a  personal  study 
of  reasons  why  so  many  children  left  school  in  the  first  year 


26  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

of  the  high  school  course,  tabulating  facts  as  to  age  of  leaving 
and  causes,  number  of  failures  by  years  and  classes,  etc. 

In  1903  and  1904  were  discussed  children  with  defective 
sight,  hearing,  and  methods  of  discovering  such  children. 
There  was  no  effort  to  relate  the  physical  defect  with  class 
standing  or  mental  ability.  Nor  at  that  time  was  the  impor- 
tance of  thorough  physical  examination  of  all  school  children 
brought  out. 

In  1905,  known  as  the  New  York  Meeting  (Asbury  Park), 
the  subject  of  statistics  had  no  place  on  the  program.  At 
one  of  the  sessions,  however,  of  the  National  Council  of 
Education,  the  Secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Board 
of  Education  complained  that  it  is  still  impossible  to  obtain 
comparable  school  data  and  pleaded  for  uniformity  of  method 
in  recording  school  facts. 

In  1906  there  was  no  convention,  the  earthquake  having 
made  it  impossible  for  San  Francisco  to  entertain  the 
delegates. 

The  advance  program  of  1907  promises  at  least  one 
topic,  The  School  Board's  Attitude  toward  the  Press,  which 
lends  itself  to  an  eloquent  plea  for  the  proper  use  of  the 
statistical  method  in  describing  school  experience. 

A  new  impetus  to  uniformity  of  school  statistics  has  been 
given  by  the  interest  taken  in  the  subject  by  the  present 
Commissioner  of  Education,  Hon.  Elmer  E.  Brown.  Com- 
missioner Brown,  in  a  letter  dated  June  4,  1907,  writes,  — 
"It  has  been  suggested  that  a  meeting  be  called  at  Washing- 
ton of  the  state  superintendents  of  this  country  for  discussion 
of  such  matters  as  uniformity  in  state  school  statistics  and  in 
laws  covering  the  state  school  census.  It  has  not  yet  been 
decided  whether  such  a  conference  will  be  held,  but  the  talk 
that  I  have  had  with  a  few  state  superintendents  seems 
favorable  to  such  a  meeting,  and  I  am  very  hopeful  that  I 
may  be  able  to  bring  it  about  within  the  next  year."  It  may 
be  expected  that  a  small  working  conference  attended  by 


UNIFORMITY   OF   SCHOOL  REPORTS  27 

the  State  superintendents  will  lead  not  only  to  reendorsement 
of  the  principles  favoring  uniformity  of  school  statistics,  but 
to  definite  action  that  will  furnish  the  basis  of  comparison  not 
only  of  state  with  state  but  of  city  with  city.  There  is  at 
present  a  disposition  at  Washington  to  take  more  seriously 
the  opportunity  and  the  responsibility  of  the  National  Bureau 
of  Education  and  to  make  more  generous  provision  for  its 
work.  The  one  thing  lacking  in  the  past  has  been  money 
with  which  to  translate  into  action  the  desire  for  clearness  and 
uniformity.  The  state  superintendents  will  undoubtedly 
find  it  practicable  to  follow  the  lead  of  the  National  Com- 
missioner of  Education  to  the  end  that  it  shall  be  easy  for 
everybody  to  do  what  everybody  has  so  long  professed  to 
want  to  do. 


CHAPTER  IV 

Examples  of  Tables  and  Other  Forms  of  Presenting 
School  Facts,  used  in  Typical  City  School  Reports 

It  has  previously  been  noted  that  in  the  matter  of  forms 
for  presenting  statistical  information  each  city  school  system 
has  for  the  most  part  worked  out  its  methods  independently. 
A  study  of  the  forms  used  shows  wide  and  interesting  varia- 
tion. Barring  certain  staple  matters  of  statistics,  there  is 
much  diversity  in  the  kind  of  facts  reported.  In  some  cities 
matters  of  finance  are  most  exhaustively  treated;  in  others, 
school  attendance ;  and  in  still  others  it  is  the  new  educational 
ventures  that  receive  the  most  attention  from  the  local  statis- 
tician. Too  many  published  reports  show  a  tendency  simply 
to  print  the  accumulated  data  of  balance  sheets,  school 
registers,  and  the  detailed  reports  of  departments. 

But  out  of  the  many  varieties  of  form  used  the  reader  will 
discover  some  that  are  especially  significant.  In  this  chapter 
an  attempt  is  made  to  assemble  representative  tables  and 
diagrams,  under  the  various  heads  commonly  used.  As  a 
rule  only  so  much  of  a  table  is  presented  as  to  show  the  essen- 
tial features;  and  it  has  seemed  worth  while  to  include  with 
certain  forms  the  actual  published  figures.  Almost  all  the 
tables  are  taken  from  reports  issued  between  1901  and  1906. 
No  very  full  discussion  of  the  forms  is  given,  as  the  table 
usually  speaks  for  itself. 

Of  course  it  is  not  assumed  that  all  or  any  considerable 
number  of  tables  like  those  shown  ought  to  be  used  in  any  one 

28 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL   REPORTS       29 

school  report.  In  Chapter  VI  will  be  discussed  matters  of 
content  and  economy  as  involved  in  the  publishing  of  a  report. 
The  object  here  has  been  solely  to  present  a  w^ide  variety  of 
forms  — some  of  them  quite  long  and  involved — that  seem  in 
some  measure  to  meet  the  conditions  hitherto  discussed  with 
reference  to  statistics  of  school  facts,  publicity,  and  admin- 
istrative control.  No  table  has  been  used  which  does  not 
seem  to  contain  some  feature  of  presentation  entitling  it  to 
consideration. 

School  Plant 

The  following  are  some  of  the  forms  of  report  on  school 
plant.  In  the  first  two  it  will  be  noted  that  cost  of  plant  and 
seating  capacity  are  included,  while  in  the  second  the  relation 
of  seating  capacity  to  attendance  is  shown : 

Table  2.    Detroit  * 

LIST  AND  DESCRIPTION  OF  BUILDINGS  AND  VALUATION 
OF   REAL   ESTATE  AND   BUILDINGS 


Name 

Ward 

When 
Erected 

Material 

Kind  of  Roof 

No.  of 
Stories 

No.  of 
Rooms 

Seating 
Capacity 

Alger  

Amos 

Bagley      .... 

I 
16 
10 

1898 

1895 
1884 

Brick  . 
Brick   . 
Brick  . 

Metal  and  Slate 
Slate   .... 
Shingle    .     .     . 

2 
2 
2 

12 
12 
6 

580 
306 

Name 

How  Heated 

Value  of 
Site 

Cost  of 
Building 

Total 

Alger    

Amos 

Bagley      .... 

Steam  Fans 

Steam  Fans 

Smead  Furnaces     .... 

$4,400 
5,000 
3.700 

$34,500 
38,150 
15,900 

838,900 
43,150 
19,600 

*  Attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  for  the  illustrative  purposes  of  this 
report  sample  entries  only  are  made  from  the  tables  reproduced.  Figures 
which  have  no  bearing  on  the  present  discussion  have  often  been  omitted, 
and  money  items  are,  in  most  cases,  given  in  round  numbers  only. 


so 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


Table  3.    Detroit 

LOCATION,   NUMBER   OF   ROOMS,   SEATING   CAPACITY, 
AVERAGE   ATTENDANCE,   ETC.,    JUNE,    1905 


U) 

^ 

a 

H 

Is 

CO 

4 

Schools 

Location 

o-g 

0 

<>* 

1^  R 

:z.^ 

uOi 

Si 

«S 

v.^ 

M.5 

^ 

^" 

cd  0. 

rt  a 

S 

3 

B 

3 

u 

?f^- 

•^ 

2 

< 

< 

< 

Alger  .     .     . 

Mott  near  Woodward 

12 

552 

426 

32 

I3I 

Amos  .     .     . 

Military  and  Regular 

12 

5^9 

577 

40 

142 

Bagley     .     . 

Fourteenth  and  Pine  .     . 

6 

296 

217 

31 

7 

Considerably  more  detailed  is  the  report  of  plant  given  in 
Springfield.  A  column  is  set  apart  in  which  to  describe  the 
condition  of  each  building.  Although  inadequate,  a  one- 
word  description  is  worth  far  more  than  no  description  at  all, 
and  will  probably  prove  more  effective  as  a  means  of  publicity 
than  a  detailed  running  account  of  school  deficiencies. 
Furthermore,  as  in  the  case  of  unusual  variations  in  compara- 
tive statistics,  it  becomes  quite  feasible  for  the  interested 
citizen  to  find  elsewhere  a  more  adequate  description  of 
buildings  marked  "poor,"  etc. 

Table  4.     Springfield,  Mass. 
TABLE     GIVING    A    BRIEF    DESCRIPTION     OF    SCHOOL 
PROPERTY;     ALSO     THE    VALUE    OF    SCHOOLHOUSES 
AND   LOTS,   ETC. 


S 

i 

•6 

•^ 

% 

^ 

u 

0 

J3 

^•^ 

Q  m 

a 

.^ 

m 

-  s 

Buildings 

m 

"o 

"^i 

°^ 

^^ 

Condition 

b 

0 

0 

fe 

S2 

S  a 

^"3 

.Q 

.0  ■" 

.^.2 

•^  9 

0 

0 

B 

B 

Bl^ 

E"" 

0 

.0 

3 

3 

3 

rt 

:? 

:< 

<^ 

'A 

V-, 

Q 

Alden  Street      .     . 

B 

2 

4 

168 

Good    . 

1890 

Armory  Street    .     . 

B 

2 

II 

2 

433 

New 

19OI 

Barrows  .... 

B 

3 

10 

I 

460 

Good    . 

1868 

TABLES   AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS 


31 


Buildings 

Heating 
Appa- 
ratus 

Value  of 
Land 

Value  of 
Buildings 

Value  of 
Furni- 
ture 

Total 

Area,  Lots 
(sq.  ft.) 

Alden  Street      .     . 
Armory  Street    .     . 
Barrows  .... 

Steam 
Steam 
Steam 

$2,500 

3,000 

10,000 

$14,200 

56,792 
40,000 

$306 

2,100 

789 

$17,006 
61,892 
50,789 

18,767 

131,860 

37,637 

BufiFalo's  report  also  gives  very  explicit  information, 
though  it  does  not  attempt  to  describe  the  condition  or  value 
as  does  the  preceding;  but  it  gives  much  more  information 
regarding  the  capacity  and  character  of  accommodations  in 
the  school  building. 

Table  5.     Buffalo 

SCHOOL  BUILDINGS  — FEBRUARY,  1905.      DESCRIPTION 


a 

•0 
a 

0 

a 

l-t 

0 
'l-i 

0 
to 

School  Rooms 

Rooms 

School 

E 
< 

a 
0 

1 
0 

Total 

-S 

2 

P 

Area 

Cubic  Con- 
tents 

X 

C.  H.  S.     .    . 
M.  P.  H.  S.    . 

1853 
1897 
1903 
1897 

B 
B 
B 
B 

3 
3 
3 
3 

I 
I 
I 

22 
23 
19 

4 
II 
12 
16 

27 
35 
32 
16 

28,610 
44,100 
36.280 
10,630 

409,560 
617.430 
612,210 
138,480 

2 

L.  H.  S.     .    . 

No.  I     .    .    . 

I 

I 

2 

Sittings 

Blackboard 

0  2 

gco 

^■^ 

to 

u 

0  a 

.  c 

C'-Z 

ll 

a 

Oh 

Is 

1 

0 

Telephone 

School 

1 
Q 

M 

to 

u 

3 
H 

.s 

to 

0 

_t3 

II 

Bell 

u 
.Si 
a 
2 

Uh 

C.H.  S.     .    . 
M.  P.  H.  S.    . 
L.H.  S.     .    . 
No.i     .    .    . 

828 
1,056 
1,090 

909 

450 

2,177 

859 

949 
1,300 
1,187 

54 

1,210 

2,180 

2,378 

840 

144 

50 

S 
S 
S 
S 

P 
P 
P 
P 

3 

6 

5 
10 

171 
138 
293 
279 

S  1364 
B    362 
N   256 
T3342 

5120 
5121 
5122 
5180 

New  Haven's  table  compares  the  size  and  number  of  sit- 
tings in  various  buildings  with  attendance,   and  has  the 


32 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


advantage  of  showing  at  a  glance  how  far  the  supply  of  sittings 
corresponds  with  the  needs.  Even  here  no  attempt  is  made  to 
show  deficiencies  or  oversupply  for  pupils  of  different  ages. 
A  complete  showing  of  accommodations  would  exhibit  these 
facts  by  individual  schools. 

Table  6.    New  Haven 

TABLE     SHOWING    THE    ATTENDANCE,    ETC.,    AT    ALL 
SCHOOLS  DURING  THE  YEAR  ENDING  JUNE  28,  1904 


School 

i 

0 
0 

d 

6 

0  u 

T 

^'1 
< 

OS 

< 

ID 
1 

H 

d 

13 

h 

i 
1 

< 

Strong 

Lenox  Street    .     .     . 
Quinnipiac  Street 

18 
I 
4 

990 

42 

192 

994 

40 

210 

856.8 

39-7 
179.1 

810.9 

36.7 
161. 0 

94.6 
92.4 

89.9 

16,885 
1,221 
7,292 

333 

54 

149 

9 

19 

II.O 

6.7 
9.8 

Another  form  in  which  sittings  are  shown  with  fair  com- 
pleteness is  in  the  Newark  Report: 

Table  7.    Newark 

CLASS  ROOMS  AND   SEATING  CAPACITY 


Class  Rooms 

Seating  Capacity 

Building 

a 

a 

P 

a 
5  >■ 

a 

C   V 

d 

3 

m 

1.9 
0 

a 

d  60 

■11 
1" 

13 

13 

0 

a 
1 

"3 
0 

a 
0 

u 

Pi 

Normal  and  Training        .     . 

Normal  Department      .     . 

Training  Department    .     . 
Webster  Street  Training   .     . 

4 
II 
10 

I 

5 
II 
10 

370 
376 

70 
80 

260 
440 
456 

224 

440 
440 

TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY  SCHOOL   REPORTS       T,^ 

A  special  table  found  in  the  New  York  report  gives  by 
boroughs  the  total  of  sittings  and  deficiencies. 

Table  8.    New  York 


Borough 


Manhattan 
The  Bronx 
Brooklyn     . 
Queens 
Richmond  . 

Entire  City 


^- «'.  ^  ^ 

3M  -    (U 

g.ti  0*1-  o 


274.548 
56,863 

188,246 
40,411 
14,359 


574,427 


^  «J  "  ! 

^P5  - 

E  a  6 
a  o  rr 

S5 


'U!2 


258,103 
51,068 

200,043 
38,461 

11,353 


559,028 


Deficiency  of 
Sittings 


,797 


Excess  of 
Sittings 


16,445 

5.795 

1.950 
3,006 

15.399 


A  special  type  of  table  expresses  the  cost  of  school  buildings 
in  terms  of  the  cost  per  unit  or  sitting.  This  form  of  table 
is  rare,  the  following  being  one  devised  in  order  to  compare 
cost  of  buildings  among  various  cities : 

Table  9.    New  Haven 

COST  OF  HIGH  SCHOOL  BUILDINGS  RECENTLY  ERECTED 
IN   NEW   ENGLAND 

HIGH   SCHOOLS 


i 

•T3 

•? 

•§ 

•-   m 

•? 

School 

-1 

3 

5a 

11 

.-a  c3 
3  0 

op 

3 

0 

0 

0 

> 

W 

H 

£:  « 

u 

Cambridge,  English 

1891 

$206,000 

$14,000 

$11,000 

$231,000 

700 

S330 

Lowell      .... 

1893 

150,000 

10,000 

11,000 

171,000 

734 

233 

34  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


The  Cost  of  Education 

The  tax-paying  public  is  peculiarly  interested  in  the  cost 
of  education.  This  cost  steadily  increases  with  the  develop- 
ment of  educational  methods.  Not  only  are  salaries  raised, 
and  paid  for  longer  terms,  but  the  tendency  is  toward  more 
expensive  books,  and  improved  apparatus  of  every  kind. 
In  the  larger  municipalities  the  cost  of  public  education  is 
from  one  fourth  to  one  half  the  total  budget.  While  generally 
acquiescing  in  increased  outlay  for  the  schools,  the  average 
taxpayer  tends  to  grow  suspicious  of  the  wisdom  and  economy 
of  the  school  system.  Mismanagement  and  extravagance 
are,  of  course,  possible  in  certain  channels  of  school  expendi- 
ture, but  the  chief  and  more  frequent  fault  is  failure  to  get 
results  commensurate  with  outlay. 

It  is  true  that  no  school  report  can  adequately  show  how 
efficiently  school  appropriations  are  expended.  Neverthe- 
less statistical  showings  can  be  devised  that  will  clear  up  many 
doubts,  indicate  lines  of  enlightening  inquiry,  and  enable  the 
citizen  to  understand  at  least  the  essential  facts. 

The  subject  may  be  viewed  from  several  standpoints : 

Totals  of  expenditure,  classified  by  items  for  an  entire 
system ; 

Totals  of  expenditure  classified  by  schools  or  divisions  of  the 
system,  and  under  these  more  or  less  itemized ; 

Expenditures  of  different  parts  compared  by  the  percentage 
that  each  forms  of  the  total.  This  is  valuable  for  comparing 
a  series  of  years  or  different  schools  or  different  cities. 

Expenditures  compared  by  reduction  to  some  basis  of  at- 
tendance as  a  unit,  and  compared  over  a  series  of  years  or 
among  different  schools. 

Under  the  first  head,  totals  of  expenditure  classified  by  items, 
we  have  illustrations  in  the  two  following  tables  arranged  to 
show  the  expenditure  by  classified  items  over  a  series  of  years. 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN  CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      35 

By  this  means  any  obvious  increase  or  decrease  becomes 
apparent,  and  may  be  made  the  subject  of  detailed  in- 
quiry. 

Table  id.    Cincinnati 

COMPARISON   OF   EXPENDITURES   FOR  THE  YEARS 

1895-1905 


Year  Ending 
August  31,  189s 

Year  Ending 
.\ugust  31,  1900 

Year  Ending 
August  31, 1905 

Teachers,  Day  Schools       .     . 

Teachers,  Night  Schools    .     . 

Officers  and  Examiners      .     . 

Librarians 

Janitors 

New  Buildings 

Repairs 

Lots 

Furniture 

Heating  Fixtures 

Rent 

Fuel 

Supplies 

Printing 

Advertising 

Gas 

Census    

Text  Books  and  Supplement- 
ary Readers 

Incidentals,  etc 

Teachers'  Institute    .... 

Interest  and  Redemption  of 
Bonds 

Public  Library 

Deaf-Mute  Taxes      .... 

Transfer  of  Funds    .... 

Apparatus 

$669,752 

9,606 

15,143 

1,641 

5,678 

$799,286 

6,612 

16,646 

3,502 
4,643 

$815,719 

8,321 

17,792 

13,448 
3,284 

Totals 

36  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

Table  ii.    Cleveland 

COMPARISON   OF   EXPENDITURES 


August  31 


Tuition 

Supervisors'  salaries      .     .     .     . 

Teachers'  salaries 

Maintenance 

Officers'  and  employees'  salaries 

Fuel  and  light 

Repairs       

Stationery  and  supplies     .     .     . 

Contingent 

Water 

Fixed  Charges 

Interest 

Bonds 

Rent  and  insurance       .     .     .     . 

Furniture  and  fixtures  .  .  .  . 
Permanent  Improvements 

Land 

Buildings 

Grading,  paving,  etc 

Improvement  existing  buildings 
Miscellaneous 

School  books        

St.  Louis  Exposition     .     .     .     , 

Supplementary  reading  books 

Glenville  annexation     .     .     .     . 

Total 


$37-406 
897,190 

118,664 


1,295 


$50,964 
1,314,660 

184,144 


10,335 


Another  form  of  classification  used  in  some  reports  is  to 
give  the  totals  of  expenditure  among  the  different  classes  of 
schools,  as,  e.g.,  primary,  high,  vacation,  etc.  By  increasing 
the  number  of  columns  this  form  of  classification  may  be 
extended  over  a  series  of  years  as  illustrated  in  the  previous 


TABLES   AND    FACTS    IN    CITY   SCHOOL   REPORTS       37 

tables.  For  a  given  year  a  very  complete  general  presentation 
may  be  made  by  the  form  adopted  in  the  Brookline  report, 
where  items  of  expenditure  are  classified  in  one  way  as  to 
class  and  in  the  other  as  to  type  of  school. 

Table  12.    Brookline 

GENERAL   SUMMARY   OF   SCHOOL   EXPENDITURES 


High 
Schools 

1.1 

0 

a 

60 

1 

i4 

.3  0£! 

-.0  0 
III  rt  — 

g.SS 

Si 
"g  £ 

g 

0 

5" 

0  0 

e2 

Evening 
Schools 

„  ,    .       Teachers 

Salaries-^  ^     . 

1  Janitors 

Total  Salaries 

Text  and  Reference  Books    .... 

Paper  and  Blank  Books 

Drawing  Materials 

Laboratory  Supplies 

Janitors'  Supplies 

Miscellaneous  Supplies 

Supplies  —  Manual  Training     .     .     . 
Supplies  —  Domestic  Arts     .... 
Tools  —  Manual  Training     .... 
Power  —  Manual  Training    .... 

Furniture  and  Fixtures 

Heating  —  Fuel 

Heating  —  Repairs  Heating  Apparatus 

Interior  Repairs 

Expenses,  Supt.  and  Clerk     .... 

Transportation 

Lighting 

Truants  —  Expense  and  Support    .     . 
Incidental  Expenses 

Total  Expenses  (excepting  Salaries) 

Total  Ordinary  Expense    .... 

Total  Cost  of  Maintenance     .     .     . 

In  a  few  cases  the  statement  of  expenditures  shows  cost 
of  each  school.  Where  the  expenditure  of  each  school  is 
presented  in  classified  form,  the  ease  with  which  the  citizen 
may  learn  the  main  facts  of  school  expense  is  much  increased. 
The  following  table  illustrates  this  point : 


38       ♦  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

Table  13.    Detroit 

EXPENDITURES  IN  DETAIL 

MAINTENANCE   OF   SCHOOLS 


School 

a  « 

m 

CO 

1— > 

Fuel 

Light 

and 

Motor 

Repairs 

1 

1 

Alger 
Amos 

$9,725.00 
9,326.00 

$1,260.00 
1,260.00 

$423-81 
389.98 

$105.01 
25.81 

$181.75 

57.22 

School 

1 

6 

§ 
u 

3 

a 
d 

Is 

s 

0 
§ 

Total 

Alger 

Amos 

$140.00 

$47-59 
13-97 

$22.00 
16.00 

$1.60 
4.40 

$11,906.76 
11,093.38 

It  is  evident,  however,  that  while  the  Detroit  table  expresses 
in  considerable  detail  the  cost  of  each  school,  it  does  not  relate 
the  cost  to  the  amount  of  work  done  by  the  school.  The 
following  table  shows  an  excellent  classification,  and  also, 
by  the  contrivance  of  introducing  the  number  of  pupils  in 
average  daily  attendance,  presents  in  compact  form  for  instant 
comparison  the  cost  per  pupil  of  each  school.  The  sug- 
gestive character  of  this  table  is  further  evident  when  we  see 
that  in  case  the  interest  of  the  reader  becomes  fixed  on  any 
particular  item  of  expenditure,  he  can  readily  find  by  divi- 
sion, a  per  capita  statement  for  this  expenditure  which  may 
be  compared  with  the  same  for  other  schools.  For  exam- 
ple it  would  not  be  difficult  to  trace  extravagance  in  the  use 
of  school  supplies  by  this  means. 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      39 

Table  14.    Brookline 

COST  OF  CONDUCTING  THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  FOR  THE 
YEAR  ENDING   JANUARY  31,   1906 

(Compiled  from  the  books  of  the  Accounting  Department) 

HIGH   SCHOOL 


Salaries 

Heating 

Text-Books,  Supplies,  and  Incidentals 

School 

1 

0 

d 
1—1 

3 

rt  in 

-opq 

CM 

a 

3 

CO 

>,  tn 

0 

nl 

3 
0 

a. a 

—  a 
(D  3 
uin 

0. 

a. 
3 

CO 

0 
■3 

•-> 

W 

c  0 
|- 

a 

High     .     . 

GRAMMAR   AND   PRIMARY   SCHOOLS 


Cabot   . 
Devotion 
Heath  . 


HIGH    SCHOOL 


School 


. 

T3.J. 

>> 

Q.!*' 

fa's 

d5 

d  S 

a 

Ji  0. 

>»2 

H  d 

»-    c) 

Ss 

Cost  per 

:fi-^ 

■go 

5 

i 

Pupil 

^1 

b 

H 

< 

w 

424 

$88.63 

Total  Cost 


High 


GRAMMAR   AND   PRIMARY   SCHOOLS 


Cabot   . 
Devotion 
Heath  . 


100 

$31-90 

342 

37-09 

266 

40.69 

So  far  as  public  understanding  is  concerned,  it  is  a  distinct 
advance  in  bookkeeping  when  school  reports  show  classified 


40 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


totals  of  expenditure.  But,  as  indicated  in  the  case  of  the 
Brookline  table,  it  is  still  better  when  cost  is  expressed  in 
terms  of  some  unit  that  makes  true  comparison  possible. 
Over  a  series  of  years  it  is  impracticable  to  make  comparisons 
of  totals  alone,  since  population  and  the  number  of  children  to 
be  educated  is  constantly  changing.  Hence  the  desirability  of 
expressing  expenditures  in  terms  of  some  unit  that  permits 
comparison  of  one  year  with  another,  of  one  school  with  another, 
or  of  one  school  system  with  another.  Three  devices  have 
been  employed  to  meet  this  need.  The  first  and  most  com- 
mon is  to  express  expenditure  in  terms  of  each  child  attending 
during  the  year.  Not  only  the  total  cost,  but  also  the  expendi- 
ture for  various  classes  of  items  may  be  expressed  in  terms  of 
this  unit.  The  following  is  a  good  example  of  a  simple  table 
reduced  to  the  unit  basis  and  permitting  ready  comparison 
over  a  series  of  years. 

Table  15.    Cincinnati 

SCHOOL   EXPENSES,  CINCINNATI, 

1834  TO  1905,  Inclusive 


^ 

*j  If) 

, 

,   , 

FiscAi-  Years 
Ending  in 

a 
S. 

"d 

.a 

M 

2-2 

to 

0  0. 

■3. 

1-  C3 

Cl,  ^ 
^  be  0 

M<1 

3  0  K 

ha 

per    Pupil  — 
erage    Daily 
tendance  on 
tal  Expenses 

per    Pupil  — 
tal  Enrollmen 
Teachers'  Sal 
es 

per    Pupil  — 
erage    Daily 
endance  on 
ichers'  Salarie 

■d-S 

a  «^ 
<  1  -u 

0 

d 

1 

E 

3 

|.s< 

?H§ 

3<<H 

SH  0  d 

S<<H 

>  d  u 

H 

H 

;?; 

^ 

'^, 

u 

U 

u 

U 

< 

1904    .    .    . 

1905    .    .    . 

A  similar  table  for  New  Haven  runs  over  fifteen  years  and 
shows,  among  other  valuable  items,  the  exact  cost  of  the 
free  text-books  supplied  the  children  in  that  city. 


TABLES   AND    FACTS   IN   CITY    SCHOOL   REPORTS       41 

Table  16.    New  Haven 

SUMMARIES   OF   ANNUAL   SCHOOL  EXPENSES 


S^ 

J 

11 

3  0 

•■a  it 

§■6 

Year 

■5  d 
OS. 

s.=3a 

Oh   0 
.13 

0 

^WX 

u 

— 

S<2c^ 

S>£w 

S^Scq 

8-Soh 

H 

en 

b 

< 

0 

u 

U 

u 

1890     .... 

$22.73 

$16.52 

$1.49 

$5-71* 

1891      .... 

22.99 

17.80 

•51 

5-6i 

1892      .... 

2363 

18.22 

.20 

5-51 

By  carrying  the  reduction  to  a  per  capita  basis  farther  on 
among  the  various  items  of  school  expenditure,  facts  of  ut- 
most interest  to  the  taxpayer  and  citizen  are  disclosed. 
The  following  statements  are  good  illustrations : 


Table  17.    Springfield,  Mass. 

COST  PER   PUPIL 
(Based  on  average  number  belonging) 


Ordinary  Schools  —  Grades 


Central  High 

Grammar  and  Primary     .     .     . 

Evening  High 

Evening  Grammar  and  Primar}' 

Evening  Drawing 

Cooking 

Totals  for  day  schools .  .  .  . 
Totals  for  evening  schools  .  . 
Kindergartens 


Teachers' 

Salaries 

(38  weeks) 


522.48 

9-75 
25.48 


Text  and 
Refer- 
ence 
Books 


bl.03 
0.18 


Supplies 

and 
Equip 


General 
Expenses 
and  Mis- 


ment     cellaneous 


$0.90 
O.IO 
1.02 


$1.82 
0.74 
0.60 


*  The  errors  in  the  addition  of  these  items  show  the  necessity  of  ex- 
pert revision  for  all  such  work. 


42  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

Table  i8.    Butfalo 

COST  OF  TUITION 


Cost  per  Pupil 


Registration 


Annual 


Average 
Term 


Annual 
Attendance 


Office  salaries 

Teachers'  salaries 

Janitors'  salaries  and  supplies     .     .     . 

Free  text-books,  including  rebinding    . 

Free  material 

Apparatus,  library,  printing,  and  sta- 
tionery      

Superintendent's  total  e.xpenditures 

Board  of  Public  Works  expenditures   . 

Bond  payments,  amount  retired  and 
interest     

Total  school  expenditures,  including 
bond  payments 


$  0.27 

15. II 

1-39 

0-51 

0.27 

0.39 
18.52 

8.55 

3-44 

30.51 


l>  0.29 
16.67 

1-54 
0.56 
0.30 

0.42 

20.43 

9.44 

3-8o 

33-67 


5  0.36 

20.34 

1.88 

0.69 

0-37 

0.52 
24.92 
11.51 

4-63 
41.06 


The  Chicago  report  devotes  two  or  three  pages  to  a  show- 
ing of  the  per  capita  expenses  of  the  various  schools  for  two 
years,  thus  bringing  changes  into  evidence. 

Table  19.    Chicago 

STATEMENT  OF   PER  CAPITA  COST 

PER   CAPITA  COST   FOR   ALL   DEPARTMENTS 


Tuition  — 

1902-3 

1903-4 

Upon  number  enrolled 

Upon  average  daily  membership 

Upon  average  daily  attendance 

$18.36 
22.20 
23-93 

$18.93 
22.41 
23.98 

(Based  on  total  expenditures  for  salaries,  $5,284,664.12  —  not  includ- 
ing evening  and  vacation  schools.) 


TABLES  AND    FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      43 
PUBLIC  SCHOOLS 


General  Expenses  (as  Given  in  Detail  Above)  — 

1902-3 

1902-3 

Upon  number  enrolled 

$5-44 

$6.87 

(Based  on  total  expenditures  for  all  educational 

purposes,  except  salaries  and  evening  and  vaca- 

tion schools.) 

Per  capita  cost  based  on  total   expenditures   for 

educational  purposes,  less  evening  and  vaca- 

tion schools  — 

Upon  number  enrolled 

$23.80 

$25.81 

PER   CAPITA   COST   OF   ELEMENTARY   SCHOOLS 


Based  Upon  Total  Cost  of  Elementary  Schools  — 

1902-3 

1903-4 

Upon  total  number  enrolled 

$20.78 

$23.67 

PER   CAPITA  TOTAL   COST   OF   MAINTAINING   SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS   AND 

SCHOOLS 


Normal  School 

High  Schools   ......... 

John  Worthy  School  —  Parental  School 
R.  T.  Crane  Manual  Training  School 

Parental 

Schools  for  the  Deaf 

Schools  for  the  Blind 

Kindergartens 

Manual  Training  Centers 

Household  Arts  — 

Upon  membership  enrolled      .     .     . 

Cost  of  material 

Drawing  — 

Upon  average  daily  membership  .     . 
Music  — 

Upon  average  daily  membership  .     . 
Physical  Culture  — 

Upon  average  daily  membership  .     . 
Evening  Schools  — 

Cost  per  pupil,  per  evening     .     .     . 


$184.53 

53-79 
25.89 
77.00 

211.38 
99-58 

179-53 
8.60 

1-55 
1.03 


.09 
.042 
.047 
•154 


$323-37 
57-21 

30-75 
105.01 
187.31 

95-04 

147.69 

9.08 

3-09 

I-5S 
.66 

.067 

.047 

•073 
.144 


44 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


Instead  of  using  the  unit  of  attendance  as  a  basis  for  com- 
parison, we  find  occasionally  that  comparisons  are  instituted 
among  various  items  of  expenditure  so  as  to  show  what 
per  cent  they  form  of  the  whole  expenditure.  The  following 
table,  taken  from  the  Connecticut  state  report,  is  so  arranged 
that  one  can  easily  detect  over  a  series  of  years  whether  the 
relative  amount  of  money  expended,  e.g.  for  salaries,  is  rising 
or  falling.  Under  some  circumstances  this  might  be  a  useful 
bookkeeping  device  to  detect  extravagance  in  certain  depart- 
ments. 

Table  20.    Connecticut 


Report 

OF 

Year 

Teachers' 
Wages 

Per 
Cent 

Fuel 
and 
Inci- 
dentals 

Per 

Cent 

New 
Build- 
ings 

Per 

Cent 

Repairs 

Per 
Cent 

Other 
Objects 

Per 
Cent 

1876 

68.0 

9.6 

8.7 

4-3 

8.6 

1877 

70.9 

8.7 

6.2 

4-5 

9.0 

1903 

58.6 

8.6 

iS-i 

4.4 

12.4 

1904 

61.2 

9-7 

II. 0 

4.2 

13.0 

Another  device  for  expressing  expenditures  in  terms  of 
some  unit  is  found  in  the  Buffalo  report.  In  this  table  the 
classified  items  of  expenditure  are  expressed  in  terms  of  the 
unit  of  property  valuation  in  the  city.  This  assumes  peculiar 
significance  to  the  taxpayer  in  cities  where  the  bulk  of  school 
revenue  is  derived  by  local  taxation  on  property,  and  has 
at  least  the  merit  of  showing  exactly  where  this  part  of  the 
taxpayer's  contribution  goes. 

Table  21.    Buffalo 

Office  salaries $0.06 

Teachers'  salaries 3.63 

Janitors'  salaries  and  supplies 0.33 

Free  text-books,  including  rebinding 0.12 

Free  material 0.07 

Apparatus,  library,  printing,  and  stationery 0.09 

Superintendent's  total  expenditures 4.45 


TABLES   AND    FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL   REPORTS      45 

Board  of  Public  Works  expenditures 2.05 

Bond  payments,  amount  retired  and  interest 0.83 

Total  school  expenditures,  including  bond  payments  ....       7.33 

The  School  Census 

The  American  school  census  has  two  main  objects.  In 
many  states,  it  is  used  as  a  basis  for  the  distribution  of  school 
funds  to  counties,  cities,  and  school  districts.  In  cities  espe- 
cially it  may  be  used  to  provide  the  data  for  the  enforcement 
of  compulsory  attendance. 

Moreover,  the  census  data  may  have  a  high  scientific  and 
sociological  interest.  Properly  taken,  the  school  census  will 
show  the  extent  to  which  children  are  sent  to  private  and 
parochial  rather  than  to  public  schools.  In  a  few  cities 
the  census  is  utilized  to  show  the  children  who  are  at  work 
and  the  kind  of  occupations  which  they  follow. 

Even  though  a  census  be  taken  primarily  for  purposes 
connected  with  the  distribution  of  state  funds,  it  obviously 
may  be  put  to  other  uses.  The  first  of  these  will  be  to  inform 
citizens  as  to  the  relation  between  the  number  of  children 
who  might  be  in  school  and  those  who  are  actually  attending. 
Such  a  statement  is  found  in  the  Cambridge  report  in  con- 
nection with  the  report  of  the  truant  oflicer.  This  table 
fulfills  its  purpose  much  more  fully  than  similar  tables  found 
in  the  few  other  reports  containing  census  totals,  but  it  will 
be  observed  that  even  here  much  is  left  to  the  imagination. 
For  example,  we  are  unable  to  determine  whether  the  number 
of  children  in  public  and  in  private  schools  includes  total 
enrollment  or  some  other  number ;  and  consequently  children 
who  have  attended  only  a  few  days  may  appear  on  this  list. 

Table  22.    Cambridge 

Number  of  children  in  the  city  between  five  and  fifteen,  boys, 

7,851;  girls,  8,007 15,858 

Number  in  public  schools  between  five  and  fifteen     ....  12,327 

Number  in  private  schools  between  five  and  fifteen   ....  3,213 


46 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


Number  not  attending  school  between  five  and  seven     .     .     .  145 

Number  not  attending  school  between  seven  and  fourteen  .     .  35 

Number  not  attending  school  between  fourteen  and  fifteen     .  138 

Whole  number  not  attending  school  between  five  and  fifteen  .  318 

Number  in  the  city  between  five  and  six 1,718 

Number  in  the  city  between  seven  and  fourteen,  boys,  5,560; 

girls,  5,628 11,188 

In  Philadelphia  an  attempt  is  made  to  indicate,  among 
other  facts  of  importance,  the  number  of  youths  between 
thirteen  and  sixteen  who  are  employed,  and  the  character  of 
the  employment. 


Table  23.    PniLADELPBaA 

CENSUS  RETURNS   BY  WARDS 


6  TO    16  YEARS 


Ward 

ig03 

1904 

Total  No. 

Male 

Female 

Total  No. 

Male 

Female 

1  .      .      .      . 

2  .      .      .      . 

3  .     •     •     • 

7503 

3748 

3755 

7790 

3893 

3897 

CENSUS  RETURNS  OF  1904  BY  WARDS  — 6  TO  16  YEARS 


Ward 

White 

Colored 

Total 

Number 

Male 

Female 

Number 

Male 

Female 

1  .      .      .      . 

2  .      .      .      . 

3  •     .     •     • 

7790 

7706 

3846 

3860 

84 

47 

37 

CENSUS     RETURNS     OF      1904  —  TOTAL     NUMBER     OF 
CHILDREN    13   TO    16   YEARS   BY  WARDS 


Ward 

White 

Colored 

Total 

Number 

Male 

Female 

Number 

Male 

Female 

I 

2 

3 

1696 

1677 

809 

868 

19 

14 

5 

TABLES   AND    FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      47 

CENSUS  RETURNS  OF  1904  — NUMBER  OF  CHILDREN 
13  TO    16   YEARS  ENROLLED   BY  WARDS 


Ward 

White 

Colored 

Total 

Number 

Male 

Female 

Number 

Male 

Female 

I 

. 

I071 

1055 

495 

560 

16 

II 

5 

2 

.      .      .      . 

3 

CENSUS  OF  1904.     RECORD  OF  CHILDREN  EMPLOYED  — 
13  TO  16  YEARS 


Ward 

Total 
No. 

Male 

Female 

Factory 

Store 

Office 

Domestic 

Misc. 

M. 

F. 

M. 

F. 

M. 

F. 

M. 

F. 

M. 

F. 

1  .      .      .      . 

2  .      .      .      . 

3  .     .     .     . 

606 

306 

300 

127 

99 

IIO 

62 

64 

II 

5 

127 

I 

A  few  other  cities  in  addition  to  Philadelphia  publish  the 
census  returns  by  wards  or  school  districts.  The  advantage 
of  this  is  that  it  may  be  possible  to  compare  the  attendance 
at  school  in  a  given  district  with  the  possible  attendance  in 
that  district,  with  a  view  to  getting  at  children  out  of  school. 
Such  a  showing  is  made  in  the  Cincinnati  report  where  the 
children  are  grouped  in  four  age  divisions. 

Table  24.    Cincinnati 
SCHOOL  CENSUS  OF  UNMARRIED  YOUTH  IN  THE  SCHOOL 
DISTRICT  OF  THE  CITY  OF  CINCINNATI,  1905 


Youth 

Youth 

Youth 

Youth 

Youth 

between 

between 

between 

between 

between 

6  and  21 

6  and  8 

8  and  14 

14  and  16 

16  and  21 

Years 

Years 

Years 

Years 

Years 

Ward 

4) 

<u 

<u 

0 

<a 

Ji 

"^ 

s 

E 

a 

B 

a 
B 

2 

S 

2 

2 

^ 

S 

I 

2 

3 

Total   .     .     . 

48 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


Schools  Attended  by  Youth 

Number 

Ward 

Public 
School 

Church 
School 

Private 
School 

No  School 

of 
Youth 

J3 

a 

V 

■c3 

4) 

£ 

0) 

S 

_4) 

a 

1 

■5 

u 

e2 

I 

2 

3 

762 

324 
233 

701 
358 
213 

4,383 
3,187 

2,434 

Total    .     .     . 

24,155 

23,610 

131,538 

More  compact  and  detailed  is  the  table  presented  in  the 
Springfield  Report,  where  the  number  for  each  year  is  given. 
Possibly  the  only  addition  to  this  that  might  be  suggested 
would  be  some  method  for  showing,  along  with  the  census 
enumeration,  the  number  in  each  ward  actually  attending 
school. 

Table  25.    Springfield,  Mass. 

POPULATION 

Population  of  the  city,  1900  (United  States  Census), 
Population  of  the  city,  1903  (estimated), 

SCHOOL  CENSUS 

Number  of  children  in  Springfield  between  five  and  fifteen 
years  of  age,  Sept.  i,  1903, 
Distributed  as  follows: 


62,059 
66,446 


11,490 


S 
yrs. 

6 
yrs. 

7 
yrs. 

8 

yrs. 

9 

yrs. 

10 
yrs. 

II 

yrs. 

12 

yrs. 

13 

yrs. 

14 
yrs. 

Totals 

Ward  I 

Ward  2 

In  public  schools      .... 
In  parochial  schools      .     .     . 
In  private  schools    .... 
Number  not  attending  school 

267 
157 

S83 

128 

4 

205 

224 
189 

1039 

144 

10 

57 

204 
192 

996 

168 

4 

II 

206 
201 

1004 
211 

4 
9 

226 
154 

943 
194 

7 
5 

218 
184 

96s 

222 

3 

7 

220 
156 

942 

191 

12 

6 

i6s 
168 

944 

167 

8 

11 

185 
136 

865 

129 

21 

15 

175 
120 

677 

84 

7 

188 

2090 
1657 

9258 

1638 

80 

514 

Totals 

11,490 

Totals  for  IQ02 

10,899 

Totals  for  1901 

10,405 

TABLES   AND   FACTS   IN   CITY  SCHOOL  REPORTS      49 

A  defect  of  many  school  censuses  is  that,  while  they  obtain 
from  parents  a  statement  of  the  fact  as  to  whether  children 
are  or  are  not  attending  school,  they  utterly  fail  to  obtain 
any  data  as  to  the  actual  amount  of  school  attendance.  In 
some  of  the  previous  tables,  for  example,  the  child  who  has 
attended  a  public  or  parochial  school  for  a  few  days  only  is 
entered  as  having  "attended  school."  The  following  showing 
made  by  the  census  table  presented  in  the  Milwaukee  report  is, 
in  this  respect,  the  most  satisfactory  that  has  been  found. 

Table  26.    Milwaukee 

ANNUAL  ENUMERATION  OF  PERSONS  OF  SCHOOL  AGE 
RESIDING  IN  THE  CITY  OF  MILWAUKEE,  JUNE  30, 
1905 


^ 

J3 

^1-2 

•1^ 

1^ 

C  M 

Ward 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

< 

Oh   '^ 

«i   0   0 
^  0  G 

tJco  0 
< 

Children  b 
and  14  wh 
Attend    3 
or  more 

First 

1120 
1297 

II7I 
1353 

2291 
2650 

953 
1254 

624 

326 

6 

Second    

19 

Third 

734 

697 

1431 

SQO 

298 

18 

Totals 

Ward 

Number  of  Each  Age 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

First    . 
Second 
Third  . 

Totals 

I4S 

87 
ISO 

roo 

147 
113 

100 
152 
94 

127 
1 54 
98 

131 

i6s 
103 

152 
17s 
81 

13s 
156 

85 

17s 

173 

91 

148 

172 

96 

144 
169 

71 

154 
i8s 
81 

149 
180 
81 

147 

176 

74 

158 
157 
74 

IS6 
20s 

74 

170 
197 
65 

In  some  cities  for  a  lack  of  school  facilities  it  is  necessary 
to  allow  children  to  attend  but  half  of  each  school  day. 
Usually  it  is  arranged  that  only  the  lower  classes  shall  thus 
be  deprived  of  part  of  their  school  day,  owing  to  the  belief 
that  small  children  suffer  less  from  the  partial  deprivation. 


50 


EDUCATIONAL    STATISTICS 


As  a  means  of  communicating  to  the  public  the  unwelcome 
facts  of  part-time  attendance  we  find  various  statistical 
devices.  The  New  York  tables  give  the  gross  number  on 
part-time  by  boroughs  and  by  districts  for  two  years. 

Table  27.    New  York 


Borough 

Sept.  30, 

190S 

Sept.  30, 
1906 

Increase 
over 

Sept.  30 
190S 

Decrease 
from 

Sept.  30 
1905 

CI  g 
P-i 

Q 

Per  Cent  of 
Pupils  on  Part- 
time  Based  on 
Total  Number 
on  Register  in 

Elementary 

Schools,  Sept. 

30,  1906 

Manhattan . 
The  Bronx . 
Brooklyn     . 
Queens    .    . 
Richmond  . 

32,633 

659 

38,358 

4,448 

387 

21,587 
1,101 

54,418 

9,148 

163 

442 

16,060 

4,700 

11,046 
224 

67 

42 

106 

34 
58 

8 

2 

26 

22 

I 

Table  28.    New  York 

TABLE  SHOWING  THE  NUMBER  OF  PUPILS  ON  REGISTER 
IN  PART-TIME  CLASSES  IN  ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS 
IN  EACH  OF  THE  SEVERAL  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  ON 
SEPTEMBER  30,  1905,  AND  SEPTEMBER  30,  1906,  WITH 
THE  INCREASE  OR  DECREASE 


District 

Part-time 

Pupils  on 

Register 

Sept.  30, 1905 

Part-time 

Pupils  on 

Register 

Sept.  30, 1906 

Increase 
over  1 90s 

Decrease 
from  1 90s 

Per  Cent  of 
Increase 

Per  Cent  of 
Decrease 

1,918 

877 
1,289 

2,146 
883 
190 

228 

6 

11.88 
.68 

2 

3     •     • 

1,099 

85.26 

Newark's  report  gives  a  very  much  fuller  idea  of  the  con- 
dition of  all  school  accommodations,  as  well  as  the  limitations 
which  make  half-day  attendance  necessary. 


TABLES  AND    FACTS   IN   CITY  SCHOOL  REPORTS       51 
Table  29.    Newark 

NEEDED   SCHOOL  ACCOMMODATIONS 


Class  Rooms  in 

Children  Enrolled  in 

^P 

. 

10 

^R 

§• 

-6 

>. 

a 

•a 

>. 

^ 

3 

^8 

School 

"3   . 

a 

0  bO 

n  0 

a 

S 

■3 

^t 

u 

Q 

q 

-11 

1 

< 

caoa 
13 

on 

< 

rtP3 

"3 

3 

0 

'3 

0 

u 

PS 

CLi 

^ 

u 

PS 

Ph 

ti 

a 

15 

0 

H 

Normal  and  Training  .     .     . 

Bumet  Street 

Marshall  Street 

The  District  of  Columbia  has  the  advantage  of  knowing 
what  classes  of  children  are  affected  by  the  part-time  attend- 
ance. 

Table  30.    District  of  Columbia 

SHOWING  HALF-DAY  SCHOOLS 


School 


Half-day 
Schools 


Grades  of 

Half-day 

Schools 

1 90s 


Number 
above  Sec- 
ond Grade 
1905 


Force  .  . 
Hubbard  . 
Morgan    . 

Total 


One  of  the  most  complete  exhibitions  is  found  in  the 
Chicago  report,  which  presents  the  subject  through  a  series 
of  years,  and  also  combines  with  the  table  of  part-time  certain 
financial  considerations. 


52  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

Table  31.    Chicago 


1 

-s 

1 

S3 

a.sa 

0, 

< 

1 

1 

.g 

•3S 

•0 

is 

■a 

■3.E  „ 

YE.iK 

r 

Da  s 

a  £> 
1^ 

^3 

.-3  « 

f 

IS- 

umber  of  Pu 
is    not    Acco 
day  Division 
by  Board 

1 

^ 

s 

0 

H 

2^ 

;z; 

w 

H 

1894-1895         .        .       . 

159,913 

165,196 

12,087 

8,147 

20,234 

I9O3-I9O4         .        .       . 

217,584 

233,035 

5,863 

5,931 

11,794 

Number  in  each 

E 

'B, 

6>, 

E 

Thousand  of  Total 

3 

< 

§S 

8 

Membership 

-So. 

0 

N          U    UT, 

y.  s 

3  2 

0 

UJi 

^  1 

<  0  = 

u 

oW 

3 1 

„J=  3-T3 

0.>^ 

■|S3 

Year 

0 

.2  C.ScD 

5-S 

Id  bo 

Is 

bo  V 

E 

1 

V 

a 

hom  there 
modation  i 
Divisions 
owned  by 

<2s 
<; 

1-1 

0 

^1 

1 
1 

5 

« 

:s  E  >.S 

S  S-a.S 

3 
0 

3 
i 

3 
0 

3^ 
0 

0 

-5 

fa 

H 

< 

H 

H 

h 

1894-1895       .      .      . 

76 

51 

127 

$71,294 

$44 

6,242 

9,834 

1,836 

1903-1904       .      .      . 

27 

28 

55 

35,699 

16 

9,821 

4,800 

2,700 

School  Attendance 

The  first  test  of  the  size  and  popularity  of  a  school  system 
is  the  enrollment  and  the  ratio  of  actual  attendance  to  enroll- 
ment. Statistics  of  this  kind  were  among  the  first  to  be 
presented  in  school  reports.  In  addition  to  the  stereotyped 
forms  familiar  to  all  teachers,  various  special  forms  have 
been  devised  to  show  facts  of  attendance  more  in  detail; 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY  SCHOOL  REPORTS 


53 


to  show  attendance  as  related  to  other  facts  of  school  admin- 
istration; and  to  show  the  conditions  of  attendance  over  a 
series  of  years.  Boston's  table  shows  the  ordinary  form  of 
stating  attendance  by  schools,  columns  being  arranged  for  a 
few  additional  important  facts. 

Table  32.    Boston 

PRIMARY  SCHOOLS 

SEJn-ANNUAL  RETURNS,   JUNE   30,    I905 


Districts 

-a 

Average 
Number  of 

Pupils 
Belonging 

Average 
Attendance 

boa 
< 

"O  4J 

U  a 

e  >• 

1° 

0 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Adams   . 

10 
9 
9 

402 

377 

453 
359 
341 

79 
43 
36 

85 
89 
90 

420 
322 
303 

117 

85 
73 

537 
407 

376 

Agassiz  . 
Bennett  . 

St.  Louis'  table  combines  with  a  historical  review  of  the 
growth  of  attendance  other  facts  regarding  increase  in 
room  needed. 

Table  ^^.    St.  Louis 

COMPARATIVE  STATEMENT  OF  ENROLLMENT  IN  THE 
DAY  SCHOOLS 


Year 

Number  Enrolled  in 
Day  Schools  Ex- 
clusive of  Double 
Registration 

1 
W 
a  a 

Per    Cent    of    In- 
crease Compared 
with      Preceding 
Year 

B  bo 
3  a 

< 

si 

U 

a 

Per    Cent    of    In- 
crease Compared 
with     Preceding 
Year 

ii 

t,  ui  rt 

1870-71        .     .     . 
1871-72        .      .      . 
1872-73        .     .      . 

13-3 
9-7 
12. 

12.3 
10.9 

4-5 

43 
43 
20 

Newark's  table  shows  three  years'  enrollment  classified 
both  by  totals  and  by  percentages  for  the  different  types  of 


54 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


schools  or  the  various  grades.  This  has  the  merit  of  showing 
at  a  glance  where  the  larger  numbers  of  children  are  found, 
and  serves  indirectly  to  disclose  the  decline  of  attendance 
and  rate  of  decline  as  the  higher  grades  are  reached. 


Table  34.    Newark 

ENROLLMENT  BY  GRADES  COMPARED 

(Based  on  monthly  reports) 


1903 

1904 

190S 

Grade 

Enro 

Per  Cent 

ii^^„^  of  Total 
llment    ^^^^^_ 

ment 

Enrollment 

Per  Cent 
of  Total 
Enroll- 
ment 

Enrollment 

Per  Cent 
of  Total 
Enroll- 
ment 

Normal 
High    . 
Eighth 
Seventh 
Sixth    . 
Fifth    . 
Fourth 
Third  . 
Second 
First    . 
Kindergar 
Ungraded 

ten 

4 

3-2 

3- 
....        4-2 
....        6.3 
....        8.5 
....      II. 3 
....      14.3 

16.4 

....      20.6 

11.4 

4 

•4 
3.3 
3-1 
4.4 
6.4 
8.9 
12. 

159 
193 
10.8 

.4 

•3 

3.7 

3.2 

4.4 

6.7 

9.1 

13.2 

14.8 

14.9 

18.9 

10.6 

.2 

Total 

....   100. 



100. 

100. 

Very  few  reports  combine  their  tables  of  enrollment  or 
attendance  with  statistics  of  school  population  or  with  figures 
showing  numbers  of  teachers  and  average  of  pupils  per 
teacher.  The  following  is  a  successful  attempt  to  do  this  for 
Omaha  over  a  series  of  years. 


TABLES  AND    FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS       55 

Table  35.    Omaha 

A  COMPARATIVE  STATEMENT  FROM  THE  OFFICIAL 
REPORTS  ON  THE  MAIN  ITEMS  OF  ATTENDANCE 
FOR  A   PERIOD   OF  THIRTY  YEARS 


Years 


1873-74 

1874-75 
1875-76 


1,659 
i>659 

1,755 


4,019 
4,138 
4,572 


2,426 
2,496 
2,592 


g" 


1,667 
1,614 
1,830 


1,542 

1,507 
1,677 


41 
42 

44 


U    VJS 

■^<  2 

■u  3  a 
< 


38 

37 
40 


Another  table  from  Wilmington  successfully  combines 
statistical  statements  of  many  facts  with  those  of  attendance. 
Notice  the  table  shows,  as  to  each  school,  the  accommodations, 
the  highest  enrollment,  ordinary  attendance,  pupils  per 
teacher,  etc. 

T.^BLE  36.    Wilmington 

SEATS,    DAYS    OF    SCHOOL,    ATTENDANCE,    TARDINESS, 
AND  CORPORAL  PUNISHMENT  IN  EACH  DAY  SCHOOL 


White  Schools 


High  School 

High  School,  Grammar  De- 
partment      

Grammar  School,  No.  I   .     . 
Grammar  School,  No.  4  .     . 


'3,  3  !- 


bo  3  c  a 


S   M 


■<  CS 


.^.-3 


a  u 
< 


Since  the  average  of  yearly  attendance  is  not  a  wholly 
satisfactory  form  of  abridged  statement  owing  partly  to  the 


56 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


fact  that  an  average  does  not  always  accurately  reflect  central 
tendency,  and  partly  to  the  fact  that,  as  used  for  school  attend- 
ance, it  quite  fails  to  disclose  the  number  of  children  who 
have  made  full  or  nearly  full  yearly  attendance,  we  find  several 
types  of  table  designed  to  give  a  more  accurate  measure  of 
attendance.  The  first  and  simplest  of  these  presents  attend- 
ance by  months  instead  of  for  the  year. 


Table  37.    Pittsburg 


STATEMENT 


Showing  the  Enrollment  and  Attendance  for  the  Several  Schools,  for 
Each  Month,  for  the  Year  Ending  August  31,  1903 


Districts 

September 

December 

March 

June 

Admitted 

During 

Year 

En- 
rolled 

Aver- 
age 

En- 
rolled 

Aver- 
age 

En- 
rolled 

Aver- 
age 

En- 
roUed 

Aver- 
age 

Male 

Fe- 
male 

Allen      .     .     . 
Bedford      .     . 
Beltzhoover    . 

1,174 

477 
647 

1,122 

457 
583 

1,143 
492 

615 

1,070 

463 
560 

1,165 

477 
617 

1,093 

449 
562 

1,135 
449 
633 

1,041 
423 
561 

625 
297 
342 

642 
272 
380 

The  St.  Louis  method  of  classifying  the  pupils  on  the 
basis  of  the  length  of  attendance  or  number  of  attendances 
made  offers  a  useful  substitute  for  average. 


Table  38.    St.  Louis 

SHOWING  CHARACTER  OF  ATTENDANCE  OF  PUPILS  IN 
EACH  SCHOOL  FOR  THE  YEAR   1903-1904 


Pupils  Attending  —  Days 

, 

"o 

0  « 

-a 

0 

•73 

•a 

'g 

-0 
a 

-2° 

s 

N.4MES   OF 

a 

Schools 

8 

0 

00 

0 

0 

0 

0 

8 

0 

00 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

"^.f2 

t/.  I- 

3 

8 

b 
00 

s 

0 

0 

0 
0 

1 

eg 

s 

1 
0 

1 
0 

^ 

H 

z 

« 

h° 

H 

67 

185 

362 

91 

86 

72 

102 

2655 

463 

1165 

9005 

S4I 

40 1 

Central  High  . 

314 

1151 

I.S7 

88 

30S6 

McKinley  High 

i:;,-^ 

354 

48 

18 

24 

23 

12 

IS 

6 

6 

4 

6O3 

159 

3S0 

911 

no 

663 

Adams    .     .     . 

42 

581 

249 

118 

95 

60 

84 

47 

61 

3« 

49 

1424 

S3 

1271 

260 

703 

bo 

1484 

TABLES   AND    FACTS   IN    CITY   SCHOOL   REPORTS       57 

Cleveland's  modified  form,  permitting  of  comparisons  by 
percentages,  is  also  very  useful. 

Table  39.    Cleveland 
SHOWING  TIME  OF  PUPILS'  CONTINUANCE  IN  SCHOOL 


Boys  and 

Girls 

V 

•V 

u 

V 

« 

e 

u 

OJ 

o-v 

0  ,- 

iT! 

S 

sy, 

-a 

■g-O 

^ 

ly, 

l-^ 

1 

0    S 

Schools 

> 

nfr 

^1 

h 

"ow 

a 

c« 

S'" 

^« 

■oW 

Cpi 

■a  en 

CcS 

■^^ 

?« 

1^ 

:?ii 

^6 

bCi-3 

"4 

"6 
a, 

3 

^5" 

5 
0 

Alabama 

26.6 

28.1 

8.1 

9.9 

13-4 

13-9 

BarkwUl 

62.2 

20.1 

6.1 

2.2 

4.6 

4.8 

Bolton 

45-9 

30.2 

9.1 

4-3 

6.2 

4-3 

Similarly  a  distributed  table  of  the  amount  of  absence  from 
school  is  presented  in  Cleveland's  report. 

Table  40.    Cleveland 

SHOWING    THE    DEGREE  OF    REGULARITY  OF  ATTEN- 
DANCE IN  THE  SEVERAL  SCHOOLS 


6 

d 

m^ 

d 

m-^ 

d 

fl 

6 

u 

d 

■d 

1 
'so 

a 

3 

•3 

2; 
5^ 

0^ 

^1 

9t) 

^1 

•A 

C  a; 

Schools 

c 

^1 

J3   u 

^1 

■oTr 

1^ 
0  rt' 

^1 

flO 

J2 
< 

0« 

U 

a  (u 

is 

x;  J= 

c!5 

0 

J" 

U4 

X) 

ti 

1-1 

^P 

Lu 

ii^ 

1-1 

.ii 

!r. 

0 

•^ 

Oh 

< 

0- 

<  " 

Dh 

<- 

Oi 

< 

a. 

< 

a, 

H 

Alabama 

9.6 

68.1 

16.7 

4.8 

.8 

Barkwill 

10.6 

81. 1 

5-1 

1.2 

Bolton 

8.4 

79-S 

10.9 

I.I 

.1 

In  subsequent  sections  discussing  part-time,  survival, 
high  school  attendance,  etc.,  attention  will  again  be  called 
to  methods  of  measuring  school  attendance. 


58 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


Age  of  Pupils 

Many  reports  give  the  age  distribution  of  pupils.  Such 
tables  are  suggestive  in  showing  inferentially  the  ages  of  the 
pupils  who  are  not  in  school,  if  it  be  assumed  that  there  are 
practically  the  same  number  of  children  at  each  year  of  age 
in  a  given  community.  In  no  case  has  the  number  of  children 
of  each  year  of  age  in  the  schools  been  compared  with  the 
actual  or  theoretical  number  of  that  age  who  ought  to  be  in 
school.  The  following  table  from  the  Chicago  report  shows 
one  form,  giving  the  ages  of  the  children  at  enrollment : 

Table  41.     Chicago 

AGE   OF  PUPILS  AT  ENROLLMENT 


Between  7  and  8  . 
Between  13  and  14 
Between  16  and  17 


32,423 

19,472 

3,680 


32,096 

20,146 

3,508 


32,318 

20,260 

3,352 


31,517 
22,972 

3,449 


When  presented  over  a  series  of  years,  this  becomes  valuable 
as  showing  whether  there  are  tendencies  for  the  age  of  enroll- 
ment to  rise.  If  disclosed,  such  changes  might  furnish  reason 
for  further  investigation.  Generally  speaking,  however,  it 
would  seem  that  a  table  showing  mere  age  distribution  of 
pupils  in  school  would  be  of  relatively  little  service. 

But  when  the  age  of  distribution  is  related  to  other  facts, 
as  that  of  graduation,  of  attendance  on  high  school  or  other 
special  school,  of  grade  in  the  public  school  —  then  the  facts 
of  age  assume  a  peculiar  significance.  For  example,  a  table 
like  these  of  Chicago  and  New  York  (by  boroughs),  showing 
ages  of  graduates  from  elementary  and  high  schools,  is 
helpful. 


TABLES   AND    FACTS   IN   CITY    SCHOOL   REPORTS 


59 


Table  42.    New  York 

AGES  OF  ELEMENTARY  SCHOOL  GRADUATES 


Borough 

Under 
13 

13 
to  14 

14 

tOTS 

IS 
to  16 

16 

to  17 

17 

to  18 

18 

to  19 

19 

to  20 

Total 
of  all 

Manhattan     . 
The  Bronx     . 
Brooklyn  . 
Queens      .     . 
Richmond 

Totals      . 

717 

4,475 

6,771 

4,499 

1,574 

306 

26 

3 

18,371 

These  tables  would  be  still  more  suggestive  if  the  numbers 
were  compared  with  numbers  of  pupils  who  have  entered 
and  who  theoretically  ought  to  have  graduated;  and  also 
with  the  age  distribution  of  those  still  in  the  schools  who  have 
not  yet  graduated  in,  say,  grades  5  to  8.  Chicago  and  New 
York  show  corresponding  tables  for  the  age  distribution  of 
high  school  students  or  graduates. 

Table  43.  New  York 
STATEMENT  SHOWING  THE  NUMBER  OF  PUPILS  ON 
REGISTER  IN  THE  HIGH  SCHOOLS  ON  JUNE  30,  1905, 
CLASSIFIED  SO  AS  TO  SHOW  THE  AGES  OF  THE  SEV- 
ERAL PUPILS  IN  EACH  YEAR  OF  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL 
COURSE 

FIRST   YEAR 


Boys      Girls 


12  to  13 


Boys      Girls 


13  to  14 


Boys      Girls 


14  to  IS 


Boys     Girls 


I    I   135   82  1,066  1,319 1,830  2,360  1,381  2,064  573  661 


IS  to  16 


Boys      Girls 


16  to  17 


Boys      Girls 


SECOND    YEAR 


12     2    109   84   533  1,106  890  1,189  721   817 


FIRST  YEAR 


17  to  18 

18  to  19 

IQ  to  20 

20  to  21 

Over  21 

Entire  School 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

141 

181 

33 

18 

5 

3 

I 

2 

5,170 

6,687 

".857 

6o 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

SECOND    YEAR 


292    373 


68 


97 


16 


II      5 


2,651 


3,684 


6,335 


Much  more  suggestive  are  those  tables  that  exhibit  the 
relation  of  grade  to  age  of  all  pupils  in  the  system.  Such 
a  table  is  that  presented  for  Boston. 

Table  44.    Boston 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  PUPILS  IN  RESPECT  BOTH  TO  AGE 
AND  TO   GRADES,   JUNE   30,   1905 


Grades 

Un- 
der 
4 
Years 

Yetrs 

Years 

6 
Years 

16 
Years 

17 
Years 

18 
Years 

19 

Years 
and 
over 

Totals 

All  Grades    .    .    . 
Totals     .     .     . 

( 
"1 

Boys 
Girls 

99 

80 

99 
61 

S3 
37 

23 
18 

510 

^'^ 

336 

H  0 

,1S 

179 

160 

90 

41 

846 

\n 

Advanced  Class 

Third-year  Class 

Second-year  Class 

First-year  Class 
Totals     .    . 

! 
1 

( 

Boys 
Girls 

S 
13 

33 

77 

48 

107 

62 
117 

148 

314 

Bovs 

Girls 

go 
139 

166 
267 

135 
180 

104 
66 

528 

>-) 

681 

0 

R 

Boys 
Girls 

Bovs 
Girls 

204 

327 

193 
239 

88 
73 

36 
27 

639 

w 

8SS 

W 

52 

284 
410 

120 
136 

38 
39 

6 
II 

987 

a 

1,368 

1.472 

1,231 

708 

429 

S,S2o 

Ninth  Grade      . 

Eighth  Grade    . 

Seventh  Grade  . 

Sixth  Grade 

Fifth  Grade  .     . 

Fourth  Grade    . 

Ungraded     .    . 
Totals     .    . 

( 
"1 

J 
( 

1 
{ 

•) 

Bovs 
Girls 

2S7 
322 

71 
88 

10 

8 

2,027 

2,360 

Bovs 
Girls 

91 
136 

10 
22 

7 
3 

2,535 

2,643 

Bovs 
Girls 

27 
30 

3 
13 

I 
4 

3,227 

a 

3,188 

0 

8 

Bovs 
Girls 

11 

J3 

6 
2 

3,924 

I 

3,833 

< 

Bovs 
Girls 

3 
2 

I 

2 

4,304 

g 

3,917 

< 

0 

Boys 
Girls 

2 
2 

4,669 

4,291 

Boys 
Girls 

S 
2 

2 

I 

1,526 

I 

1,178 

903 

218 

38 

43,622 

TABLES   AND   FACTS   IN   CITY  SCHOOL  REPORTS       6l 


Third  Grade      .     .  j 

Second  Grade    .     .  •> 

First  Grade   •     •    •  1 
Totals     ,    .    . 

Bovs 
Girls 

4 

7 

4,718 

ij 

4.491 

o 

» 

Boys 
Girls 

4 
3 

512 
527 

5,348 

4,819 

ctf 

Boys 
Girls 

17 
25 

1.374 
1,266 

3.317 
2.974 

7.187 

s 

04 

42 

2,647 

7.341 

,     ^ 

All  Classes    •    •    •  ] 
Totals     .    .    . 

Bovs 

Girls 

133 
133 

1.035 
1,006 

1,422 
1.338 

182 
237 

2,784 

w  3 

2,726 

Oh 

z;  « 

266 

2,041 

2,760 

419 

Totals  by  Ages  .... 

266 

2,083 

5,407  7,760 

2.554 

1,609       836 

470 

88,586 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  Boston  Table  is  very  concise  and 
exhibits  all  the  main  facts  (with  totals)  on  one  sheet.  The 
following  are  graphic  showings  of  the  same  facts,  found  in 
the  St.  Louis  report : 

Table  45.    St.  Louis 

Attendance  and  Ages 

The  various  oblongs  of  diagrams  A  and  B  represent  the  number  and  the 
ages  of  children  in  each  grade,  in  the  Kindergarten,  and  in  the  High  School. 
The  number  which  each  oblong  represents  may  be  seen  from  the  figures  of 
the  scale  printed  below.  Part  C  shows  the  ages  of  the  pupils  in  each  grade. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  there  are  a  few  pupils  of  from  15  to  19  years  of  age 
in  the  lowest  grades.  These  are  children  whose  parents  immigrated  recently 
and  who  cannot  speak  English.  A  study  of  the  chart  reveals  the  fact  that 
quite  a  number  of  pupils  in  the  higher  grades  are  below  the  normal  age. 

ATTENDANCE    OF    PUPILS 


PUPILS  BELONGING  IN  JUNE    1903 

BOYS  GIRLS 


HIGH    SCHOOL 
8GR. 

7GR. 
6  GR. 
5GR. 
4GR. 
3GR. 
2GR. 
1  GR. 

KINDERGARTEN 

5000  4000  3000  2000  1000  0  1000  2000  3000  4000  500O 


B 
AGES  OF  PUPILS  ENROLLED  IN    1902-1903 

BOYS  GIRLS 


16    YEARS   AND   OVER 

15  YRS. 

1 

14YRS. 

13  YRS. 

12  YRS. 

11  YRS. 

10  YRS. 

9  YRS.  r 

8  YRS.  J_ 

7  YRS. 

6  YRS. 

5000  4000  3000  2000  1000  0  1000  2000  ^ 


62 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


Table  46.    St.  Louis 


c 

AGES    OF 

1ST  GRADE 

PUPILS    )N 

2ND 

EACH    GRADE 

GRADE             3RD  GRADE 

4TH  GRADE 

15-19  YEARS 

5 

10 

1           30 

1         64 

14 

12 

18 

II          87 

1        280 

13 

17 

64 

II       238 

1     1    786 

12 

78 

1              206 

1     1      788 

1           1|752 

11 

1                           151 

1    1           541 

i           |1585 

27^9 

10 

1                          376 

1          !      1378 

29[45 

27^3 

9 

1      1                     858 

1                       ^249 

3lU 

1     1    874 

8 

1                         1            331 9 

1                          43^4 

1        1   1097 

65 

7 

1                                                      810|7 

1         918 

1           52 

1 

17-20 

6 

1                 6 

1 

II                51 

16 

17 

36 

II             107 

1   1            253 

15 

Ij             123 

i    1            226 

1      1          426 

1      1          509 

14 

1       1          509 

1             1       811 

1       890 

1          1        682 

13 

1                        h^l 

1                    |1367 

1        875 

1     1           347 

12 

1                            22^1 

1                 1  1185 

1      (            409 

II               82 

11 

1                        11758 

1       1          473 

1                 81 

1                  6 

10 

1        1         596 

II                87 

1 

9 

II                 38 

12 

5TH   GRADE 


6TH    GRADE 


7TH  GRADE 


8TH  GRADE 


A  table  found  in  the  New  York  report  shows  the  relative 
numbers  of  children  who  are  not  normally  situated  in  the 
matter  of  age  and  grade. 

Table  47.    New  York 


Grades 


First  year  . 
Second  year. 
Third  year  . 
Fourth  year. 
Fifth  year  . 
Sixth  year  . 
Seventh  year 
Eighth  year  . 
Ungraded  . 
Special  C 
Special  D 
Special  E 


Number  of 

Pupils 

June  30,  igo6 


667 

1,448 

4,590 

12,974 


519,755 


Number 

Above  Normal 

Age 


Per  Cent 
of  Whole 

Number 


13-9 
234 
31.6 

37-4 
40.3 
36.5 
29.1 
20.7 


Correspond- 
ing Per  Cent 
in  1905 


16.6 
25.6 

34-1 
40.1 
42.9 
37-6 
28.0 
19.0 


(Foreign  —  cannot  speak  English) 
(Trying  for  work  certificate) 
(Special  coaching  to  enter  Seventh 
Grade) 


150,500 


30.1 


TABLES   AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL   REPORTS       63 

To  show  these  facts  with  regard  to  individual  schools 
would,  for  New  York  at  least,  undoubtedly  require  too  much 
space  for  an  annual  report.  In  Milwaukee,  however,  the 
facts  are  published  for  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades  in  each 
school.  This  method  would  be  helpful  if  it  were  desired  to 
compare  various  parts  of  the  city,  foreign  with  native  popula- 
tion, Italian  with  Jew,  etc. 

Table  48.    Milwaukee 

SHOWING  THE  DISTRIBUTION,  ACCORDING  TO  AGE, 
OF  THE  SEVENTH  GRADE  PUPILS,  JUNE,  1905. 
Concluded 


Number  or  Pupils  of  the  Several  Ages 

Schools 

a 
£ 

V 

> 

a 

V 

J 

l3 
a 
1 

a 
E 

it 

a 

.a 

(A 

u 

>i 

CI 

■3 

go 

H 

a 

1 

Sixteenth  District  No.  2     . 

I 

3 
2 
2 

26 

17 
16 

38 

17 

28 

27 
18 

22 

8 
7 
9 

I 

13 
13 
13^ 

Seventeenth  District 

Eighteenth  District  No.  t  . 

9 

I 

Other  facts  that  might  be  related  to  age  are : 
Average  class  standing  and  age  within  a  given  grade. 
Moral  grading  and  age  within  a  grade.     Age  and  grade 
correlation  of  those  dropping  out  of  school.     Percentages 
of  promotion  distributed  according  to  age. 

Or  the  cases  of  "behind  the  normal  age"  might  be  cor- 
related (on  basis  of  number  of  years  behind)  with  scholar- 
ship, health,  behavior,  nationality,  regularity  of  attendance, 
changes  in  residence,  etc. 


Promotions 

Under  normal  conditions,  a  pupil  who  has  attended  school 
regularly  ought,  at  the  end  of  term  or  year,  to  be  advanced  to 


64 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


a  higher  grade,  and  the  proportion  of  children  thus  advanced 
is  one  of  the  measures  of  school  efficiency  and  character 
of  school  population.  Non-promotion  of  course  may  result 
from  one  or  more  of  several  causes,  such  as  irregular  attend- 
ance, removal  from  one  school  to  another,  ill  adapted  course 
of  study,  sickness,  mental  incapacity,  etc.  A  single  table  of 
promotions  can  hardly  be  made  to  show  reasons  for  non- 
promotion,  but  it  can  be  made  to  disclose  in  what  school 
and  grades  and  classes  the  percentage  of  non-promotion  is 
such  as  to  call  for  the  attention  of  superintendent  or  trustee. 
Any  city  would,  without  doubt,  find  it  profitable  to  gather  the 
facts  that  would  tend  to  explain  the  causes  of  non-promotion, 
and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  school  reports  of  so  few  cities 
present  statistical  treatment  of  the  subject. 

A  few  reports  give  absolute  totals  of  promotion,  sometimes 
distributed  by  grades  or  schools.  The  following  table  from 
Boston  is  an  example : 

Table  49.    Boston 

PRIMARY  SCHOOLS 

NUMBER   OF   PUPILS  PROMOTED   TO    GRAMMAR   SCHOOLS   FOR  THE   FIVE 
MONTHS  ENDING  JANUARY   3 1,    1905 


Districts 

0 

m 

0 

"a 

Districts 

0 
m 

5 

■3 

Adams    .... 
Agassiz  .... 
Bennett  .... 

115 
107 
no 

Jefferson   .     . 
John  A.  Andrew 
Lawrence  .     .     . 

113 
176 
120 

Three  long  tables  are  given  in  the  New  Orleans  report, 
the  first  showing  the  totals  promoted,  the  second  showing 
non-promotions  in  similar  detail,  and  the  third  enrollment. 
A  comparative  study  of  these  facts  by  schools  is  possible, 
though  with  greater  effort,  in  the  New  York  report,  table  51. 


TABLES   AND    FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      65 
Table  50.    New  Orleans 

SESSION   1904-1905  —  PROMOTIONS 

TO 


Eighth 


Seventh 


A    B    A     B 
Boys      Girls 


Sixth 


A     B 
Boys 


A     B 

Girls 


Fifth 


A     B    A     B 
Boys      Girls 


FIRST  district 

Paulding 

Jackson,  Boys       .    .     , 
Jackson,  Girls      .    .     , 


Fourth 


ABA 

Boys      Girls 


Third 


A     B    A     B 

Boys      Girls 


Second 


A     B    A     B 

Boys     Girls 


First 


A     B 
Boys 


A     B 

Boys 


FIRST  district 

Paulding 

Jackson,  Boys      .     .     , 
Jackson,  Girls      .     .    . 


SESSION  1904-1905  —  NON-PROMOTIONS 

FROM 


FIRST  district 

Paulding  .... 
Jackson,  Boys .  .  . 
Jackson,  Girls      .     . 


Eighth 


A    B    A    B 
Boys     Girls 


Seventh 


A     B    A    B 

Boys     Girls 


Sixth 


A     B    A    B 
Boys     Girls 


Fifth 


A    B 

Boys 


A    B 

Girls 


Fourth 

Third 

Second 

First 

Kinder- 

A   B 
Boys 

A   B 
Girls 

A   B 
Boys 

A   B 

Girls 

A   B 

Boys 

A   B 

Girls 

A   B 

Boys 

A    B 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

first  district 
Paulding      .... 
Jackson,  Boys  .     .     . 
Jackson,  Girls  .     .     , 

66 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


ENROLLMENT  BY  GRADES 

SESSION   1904-1905 


White  Elementary 
Schools 

Eighth 

Seventh 

Sixth 

Fifth 

Fourth 

Boys     Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

FIRST  DISTRICT 

Paulding      .... 
Jackson,  Boys  .     .     . 
Jackson,  Girls  .     .     . 

White  Elementary 
Schools 

Third 

Second 

First 

Kinder- 
garten 

Total 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

first  district 
Paulding      .... 
Jackson,  Boys  .     .     . 
Jackson,  Girls  .     .     . 

Table  51.    New  York 

BOROUGH   OF  BROOKLYN 


g"o 

AS" 

S  00 

iS^ 

"a 

C  4J 

B. 

°  "S 

aS? 

!3. 

a&S 

^h>. 

^H  ^ 

§■3^ 

^M  S 

'S. 

'Is*^ 

asp  " 

•a 

Grade  of  Class 

mber  of  P 
egister  Jan 
906,  before 
on 

mber  of  Pu 
loted   durir 
nding  Janu 
906 

3-0 

a 

mber  of   P 
.agister     Ji 
906,  before 
on 

3  0  j> 

3-0 

n 

c3 

d«    M- 

3    C    U    H 

3«  "« 

S   S   V 

■z 

^ 

CIh 

^ 

:z; 

CU 

^A      .     .     .      . 

83 
83 

82 

84 
85 
83 
84 
8t 

^B      .... 

0  ■"      • 

aA      .     .     .     . 

4B      .... 

82 

All  Grades     .     . 

80 

Comparison  of  the  number  of  promotions  with  the  number 
of  children  actually  in  the  grade  is  made  easy  in  the  following 
Chicago  tables : 


TABLES  AND    FACTS  IN   CITY  SCHOOL  REPORTS      67 
Table  52.    Chicago 


Schools 

a 
i 

1 
W 

< 

—  1) 
< 

0 

1 
0 

0  a 

a-o 
u  a 

^^ 

°.2 

Chicago  Normal     .... 

Austin  High 

Manual  Training  and  High  . 

230 
416 
882 

191. 1 
382.3 
824.9 

184.6 
362.5 
797-4 

182 
277 
487 

94-8 
96.7 

95-2 
72.5 
S9-0 

Table  53.    Chicago 

MEMBERSHIP  AND   PROMOTION 


Gkade 

< 

1 

■r.SB 

^o2 
°  £  >- 

Kindergarten 

3-57 

69.7 

First  Grade 

Second  Grade 

Third  Grade 

Fourth  Grade 

Total  Grades  1-4       ... 

143,449.1 

60.82 

117,293 

81.8 

Total  Grades  5-8       ... 

73,621.9 

31.22 

61,294 

83.2 

Total  Grades  1-8       ... 

217,071 

92.04 

178,587 

Total  High  Schools   .     .     . 

9,936.7 

4-21 

7,137 

71.8 

This  is  carried  farther  in  Detroit's  report,  thus  permitting 
comparisons  to  be  made  among  different  schools. 


68  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

Table  54.    Detroit 

STATEMENT  OF  PROMOTIONS 

(half  yearly)  for  the  school  year  ending  JUNE,  1905 


Grammar 

Primary 

Kinder- 
garten 

Whole 
School 

Schools 

^  a 
0  0 

0 

0 

1^ 

n 

.  d 

0  0 

0  0 

0  3 

UE 
(2^ 

1^ 

|2 

0  1 

<u  c 

„  0 

gs 

us 

0 

0  c 

c  0 

0 

0 
|2 

Aleer      

92 
91 

92 

87 
81 

67 

62 

91 
89 

79 

Amos 

Baglev 

When  promotions  are  expressed,  as  in  the  foregoing  table, 
in  per  cents,  comparison  is  easily  possible.  The  Cincinnati 
table  lacks  that  advantage,  but  has  the  excellent  feature  of 
making  comparison  possible  among  the  different  grades. 


Table  55.    Cincinnati 

NUMBER  OF  PUPILS  ADVANCED,  NUMBER  NOT 
ADVANCED  AT  CLOSE  OF  YEAR  BY  GRADES 


8th  Grade 

5TH  Grade 

3RD  Grade 

1ST  Grade 

Schools 

T3 

d 

> 
•a 
< 

-a 

a 

t 
-0 
< 

0 

d 

> 
-0 
< 

1 

T3 

d 

> 

< 
0 

■a 
d 

> 

d 

•a 

d 

-a 
< 

1 

-a 

u 

d 

1 
< 

d 

i 
t 
< 

1 

ist  District  .... 

103 
103 

6 

2 

40 

128 

55 
133 

30 
24 
29 

129 

67 

146 

39 

63 

100 

5th  District      .     .     . 
6th  District      .     .     . 

9 

Baltimore  has  an  elastic  system  of  promotion  and  exhibits 
in  its  report  the  amount  of  time  required  by  pupils  to  finish 
the  work  of  each  grade. 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS       69 

Table  56.    Baltimore 
TIME    OCCUPIED    IN    ACCOMPLISHING    GRADE    WORK 


a 
1 

a 

-0 

a 

Z^ 

fL,S 

d 

a 

Z^ 

6 

00 

ID'S 

D.O 

d 

1° 
d 

0 
a 

1 

M 

a 

i 

.2 
1 

W5 

.a 
6 

z 

Group  A     .     . 
Group  B      .     . 
Group  C      .     . 

10 
8 

8 
2 

II 

7 

9 
6 
2 

26 
69 

77 

20 

68 
63 

718 

854 
1,202 

7 

I 

60 

7 

46 

4 

■<t 

w 

u 

UI 

0 

u 

d 

fl 

II 

0 

II 

^  J3 

=  a 

a  0 

'Z,"^ 

•^1 

0.0 
1% 

'S.  i!? 

C3 

■S-2 

•as 

0 

0 

05 

05 

0 

05 

z 

Z 

z 

H 

z 

Z 

z 

Group  A     .     . 

65 

246 

189 

1,415 

84 

718 

613 

Group  B     .     . 

5 

13 

447 

1,522 

191 

854 

477 

Group  C     .     . 

66 

205 

352 

i>974 

149 

1,202 

623 

Survival 

Closely  related  to  graduation  and  promotion  is  the  matter 
of  persistency  of  attendance,  or,  as  sometimes  called,  survival. 
The  most  primitive  measure  of  the  efficiency  of  a  school  is 
numerical  attendance;  the  second  is  advancement,  or  pro- 
motion ;  and  the  third  test  may  be  found  in  the  persistence 
of  attendance,  or  the  extent  to  which  pupils  attend  through 
the  various  grades.  The  converse  of  persistency  of  attend- 
ance, of  course,  is  v^ithdrawal,  or  "dropping  out,"  "grade 
mortality."  The  extent  to  which  children  fail  to  advance 
to  upper  grades,  or  the  extent  to  which  they  drop  out  in  early 
years,  is  a  matter  requiring  the  constant  attention  of  super- 
vising officers. 

The  following  table  for  St.  Louis  is  designed  to  show 
persistency  of  attendance  within  the  year.  The  figures, 
which  are  here  omitted,  would  appear  to  indicate  that  the 
larger  part  of  withdrawal  takes  the  form  of  failure  to  return 
after  the  vacation  period: 


70 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


Table  57.    St.  Louis 

CLASSIFICATION  OF  PUPILS  BY  ADVANCEMENT 
IN  STUDIES 

NUMBER   BELONGING    AT   THE    CLOSE    OF    EACH   QUARTER 


1904-1905 

I 903- I 904 

Schools 

a 

i-i 

E 

U 

a 

■a 
a 
0 

a 

a 

•a 

u 

u 
d 
3 

c 
1 

u 

V 

3 

a 
1 

ci 

3 

a 
1 

3 

•0 

a 

1 

HIGH  SCHOOL 

Senior  Class 

Third  Class •     •     • 

Second  Class 

Junior  Class 

Total 

Increase  compared  with  last  year 

DISTRICT    SCHOOLS 

Number  Pupils  8th  year  or  grade 
Number  Pupils  7th  year  or  grade 
Number  Pupils  6th  year  or  grade 
Number  Pupils  5th  year  or  grade 
Total  Higher  Grades  .     .     . 
Increase  Higher  Grades  compared 
with  last  year 

Number  Pupils  4th  year  or  grade 
Number  Pupils  3d  year  or  grade 
Number  Pupils  2d  year  or  grade 
Number  Pupils  ist  year  or  grade 
Number  Pupils  Kindergarten 

Total  lower  grades  .... 

Decrease    or    increase    of    lower 

grades  compared  with  last  year 



— 

Total  Number  belonging  at  end 
of  quarter 

Total  increase  or  decrease  com- 
pared with  last  year    .... 

TABLES  AND   FACTS  IN   CITY   SCHOOL   REPORTS       71 

Philadelphia's  table  makes  possible  a  comparison  of  enroll- 
ment in  each  school  at  diflferent  periods  with  average  number 
belonging,  thus  giving  the  movements  in  school  population. 

Table  58.    PmLADELPmA 

COMMERCIAL  HIGH  SCHOOL  FOR  GIRLS 


Girls 

Belonging  at 

Beginning 

of  Year 

Belonging  at 

End  of 

Year 

Average 

Number  belonging 

during  Year 

1220 

1350 

1220 

1255 

TABLE  SHOWING  THE  NUMBER  OF  PUPILS  BELONGING,  AND  THE  AVERAGE 
NUMBER  BELONGING  IN  ALL  GRADES  OF  SCHOOLS  IN  THIS  DISTRICT 
DURING  THE   YEAR    I904 


Central  High  School  .... 
High  School  for  Girls  .  .  .  . 
Commercial  High  School  for  Girls 
Central  Manual  Training  School 

Special  Schools 

First  Section 

Second  Section 


Number  of 

Pupils 
AT  End  of 

Year 
BY  Sexes 


P   O   OJ   iH 


°  S  u, 
3-0  o 


Average 

Number 

belonging 


The  extent  to  which  pupils  drop  out,  or  are  otherwise 
lost  to  the  public  school,  is  shown  by  the  following  Spring- 
field, Boston,  and  St.  Louis  table  and  charts.  Such  graphic 
presentation  of  the  fact  that  America's  education  is  "uni- 
versal" only  up  to  the  third  grade,  even  in  learned  Boston, 
would  in  time  exercise  a  marked  influence  on  both  curriculum 
and  administration. 


72 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


Table  59.    Springfield,  Mass. 

NUMBER  OF  PUPILS  IN  EACH  GRADE 


I 

II 

III 

IV 

V 

VI 

vn 

September,  1895   .  . 

1BS9 

10S3 

loss 

794 

72A 

S13 

445 

September,  1896 

1723 

lOZO 

1 180 

817 

78s 

621 

460 

September,  1897 

17 SI 

1134 

1211 

980 

789 

754 

474 

September,  1898 

I77S 

llAB 

1287 

965 

875 

657 

63s 

September,  1899 

1789 

1174 

l^JiS 

1029 

952 

786 

559 

September,  1900 

1717 

1068 

1294 

1107 

904 

884 

621 

September,  1901 

1717 

126s 

1226 

1152 

1024 

892 

769 

September,  1902 

1685 

1S97 

1276 

1088 

II3S 

90S 

768 

September,  1003 

1773 

1319 

1180 

1341 

1072 

986 

799 

VIII 

IX 

Fresh- 
men 

Sopho- 
more 

Junior 

Senior 

Post 
Grad. 

September,  1895   .  . 

277 

263 

177 

126 

96 

65 

September,  1896 

288 

258 

204 

118 

86 

104 

September,  1897 

381 

274 

206 

159 

93 

88 

15 

September,  1898 

382 

299 

227 

159 

i2S 

80 

22 

September,  1899 

486 

380 

243 

/74 

130 

i/4 

13 

September,  1900 

463 

380 

293 

206 

142 

83 

28 

September,  1901 

548 

378 

298 

2/2 

168 

i04 

a6 

September,  1902 

653 

416 

274 

191 

158 

105 

25 

September,  1903 

633 

454 

393 

260 

172 

732 

18 

By  following  the  italicized  figures  from  left  to  right  in  this 
table  the  grade  mortality  can  be  seen  at  a  glance. 


TABLES   AND    FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      73 
Table  60.    Boston 


^AN.,  1902 


-JtWE.,  1902 


JAN.,  1903 


-1 04-1-GRADUAT-ESr-THI  RD-Y-EARt-J  U  N  Et^W03 -JHJNE.,  1903 

277  GRADUATES,  FOURTH  YEAR, .JUNE,  1903  ,,„. 
-^ " ' d^AN.,  1904 


74  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

Table  6i,    St.  Loins 


100 


90 


0         0^3 
>  5        = 


K^ 

?93 

\ 

N 

1  \ 

\ 

,70 

\ 

k 

\ 

N 

IN 

>52 

\-0 

\ 

V 

\ 

f^. 

K 

>^8 

^22 

M 

\ 

K, 

\ 

L^° 

E 

H 

H 

H 

^ 

ir-^ 

R 

9.2        10.4      11.4     12.3    13.1      14.0  14.8     15.7       16.8  17.5        18.6  YEAR 
DIAGRAM  SHOWING  THE  EXTENT  TO    WHICH  PUPILS 
CONTINUE  THROUGH   THg  tLIQJHEB  GRADES 


In  many  communities  it  has  become  a  matter  of  interest 
to  know  how  many  graduates  of  the  elementary  school  enter 
the  high  school.  These  facts  are  exhibited  by  Detroit  and 
New  York  as  follows: 


TABLES  AND   FACTS  IN   CITY  SCHOOL  REPORTS 
Table  62.    Detroit 


75 


TABLE  COMPARING  EIGHTH  GR.\DE  GRADUATES  WITH 
NUMBER  OF  PUPILS  ENTERING  HIGH  SCHOOL 

No.  pupils  graduated  from  A  8th  to  high  schools  for  year 

ending  June,  1904 1,335   •  •  • 

No.  pupils  who  entered   high   schools   from   grammar 

schools,  1904 ...     926 

No.  pupils  graduated  from  A  8th  to  high  schools  for  year 

ending  June,  1905 1,546   . . . 

No.  pupils  who  entered  high  schools  from   grammar 

schools,  1905 ...   1,150 


Table  63.    New  York 


Graduates  from  Ele- 
mentary Schools 
January  and  Jime 
1 90s 

NtJMBER  Pupils  admitted  to 

High  Schools  January, 

February,  June,  and 

September,  igos 

Elemen- 
ols  Grad- 
ering  the 
ools 

Boroughs 

From 
Public 
Schools 

From 
Other 

Schools 

Total 

Per  Cent  o 
tary  Schc 
uates  en 
High  Sch 

Manhattan      .     .     . 

8,72s 

5,394 

53 

The  Bronx      .     .     . 

1,730 

1,499 

61 

Brooklyn    .... 

6,570 

5,873 

75 

Queens 

1,024 

925 

83 

Richmond  .... 

322 

339 

99 

Graduates  from  Ele- 
mentary Schools 
January  and  June 
1906 

Number  Pupils  admitted  to 

High  Schools  January, 

February,  June,  and 

September,  1906 

:  Elemen- 
3ol   Grad- 
tering  the 
ools 

Boroughs 

From 
Public 
Schools 

From 

other 

Schools 

Total 

Per  Cent  0 
tary  Sch 
uates  en 
High  Sch 

Manhattan      .     .     . 
The  Bronx      .     .     . 
Brooklyn    .... 

Queens 

Richmond       .     .     . 

8,791 
1,846 
7,158 
1,226 
332 

4,902 
991 

5,951 
1,077 

358 

46 
52 
72 
80 

94 

76 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


Two  tables  from  the  District  of  Columbia  show  persist- 
ency of  attendance  in  two  types  of  high  school : 


Table  64.    District  of  Columbia 

SHOWING  PER  CENT  OF  SURVIVAL  FOR  ALL  WHITE 
ACADEMIC  HIGH  SCHOOLS  FROM  FIRST  YEAR  TO 
GRADUATION,  CENTRAL  TO  1893,  INCLUSIVE;  ALL 
TOGETHER  THEREAFTER 


Per  Cent  of  the  Immediate  Pre- 
ceding Class  reaching 
Class  Designated 

Per  Cent  of  Original  First-year 

Class  reaching  Class 

Designated 

Year 

Second 
Year 

Third 
Year 

Fourth 
Year 

Graduates 

Col- 
lege 

Second 
Year 

Third 
Year 

Fourth 
Year 

Graduates 

Col- 
lege 

Third 
Year 

Fourth 
Year 

Third 
Year 

Fourth 
Year 

1892  .  . 

1893  •  • 

SO.  28 

78.77 

15.25 

73-03 

76.74 

30.28 

39.61 

6.04 

28.93 
■ 

4.63 

Table  65.    District  of  Columbia 

SHOWING  ENROLLMENT  AND  PER  CENT  OF  SURVIVAL 
FOR  THE  BUSINESS  HIGH  SCHOOL  FROM  FIRST  YEAR 
TO   GRADUATION 


Graduating  Year 


1892 

1893 
1894 


Class  Enrollment 


First 
Year 


308 
281 


Second     Gradu- 
Year  ates 


84 

85 
132 


35 
5° 
60 


Per  Cent  of  the 

Immediately 

Preceding   Class 

reaching  Class 

Designated 


Second     Gradu- 
Year  ates 


27 
30 

44 


42 
59 
45 


Per  Cent  of 
Original  First- 
year  Class 
reaching  Class 
Designated 


Second    Gradu- 
Year         ates 


27 
30 
44 


II 
18 
20 


TABLES   AND    FACTS   IN    CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS       77 

Detroit  compares  by  schools,  enrollment  and  graduation 
over  a  series  of  years,  and  shows  for  one  grade  of  the  high 
school  just  why  pupils  drop  out. 


Table  66.    Detroit 

TABLE  SHOWING  BY  GRADES  AND  CLASSES  THE  WHOLE 
NUMBER  ENROLLED  IN  THE  CENTRAL  HIGH  SCHOOL, 
AND  THE  NUMBER  GRADUATED  FOR  EACH  SEMES- 
TER OF  THE  PAST  TWENTY-THREE  YEARS 


For  Semester  ending 
AS  Below: 

P3 
0. 

< 
0. 

e 
0 

< 
0 

m 

< 

ra 

< 

June  1882 

January,  1883    .     . 
June,  1883    .     .     . 
January,  1884    .     . 

129 

153 
131 

117 

97 
104 

86 
70 
86 

62 
61 

54 

51 
44 
43 

45 
45 
35 

59 
37 
48 

25 
54 
30 

37 

100 

68 

For  Semester  ending 
AS  Below: 

u 

3 

Total 

d 

0  0 

w 
e2 

"0 

V 
60 

Is 
u  v 
u  b 

> 

3 
1 

1 
< 

Is 

73 

T3 

0 

.2 

■0 

ll 
60 

0 

n 
1 

< 

< 

June  1882    .     .     . 

82 

23 
40 

29 

January,  1883    .     . 
June,  1883    .     .     . 
January,  1884    .     . 

9 
12 

15 

620 

673 
614 

702 

558 

63 

545 

78 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


Table  67.    Detroit 

DETROIT  CENTRAL  HIGH  SCHOOL 

TOTAL     NUMBER    OF    "FIRST    YEAR"    PXJPILS    WHO    HAVE    LEFT     SINCE 
SEPTEMBER,    I904 


Ages 

12 

13 

14 

IS 

0 

0 

0 

m 

0 

0 

H 

0 

3 

_ 
0 

>1 

0 

m 

0 

0 

m 

3 

Illness 

Illness  in  Family      .     .     . 
Failing  Eyesight .... 

Work 

Transferred 

Left  City 

Indifference  to  Work    .     . 

Music 

Unknown 

Total 

I 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 

0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 

I 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 

0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
2 
0 
0 

I 
0 
0 

° 
0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

I 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
2 
0 
0 

I 
0 

I 

5 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 

I 
0 
0 

I 
I 
0 
0 

I 

2 

0 

I 
6 

I 
I 
0 
0 

I 

I 
0 
0 
10 
2 
0 
2 
0 
4 

4 

I 
I 
2 

I 

3 
0 

I 
6 

5 
I 
I 

12 
3 
3 
2 
I 

10 

5 
0 
I 

34 
4 
3 
8 
0 

10 

65 

18 

4 

I 

7 
2 

7 

I 

I 

13 

54 

23 

4 
2 

41 

6 

10 

9 

I 

23 
119 

New  York  gives  for  two  years  the  total  number  discharged 
without  graduation  from  each  high  school,  and  the  percentage 
of  discharged  to  total  enrollment. 

Table  68.    New  York 

SHOWING  FOR  EACH  HIGH  SCHOOL  THE  NUMBER  DIS- 
CHARGED EACH  YEAR  WITHOUT  GRADUATION 


Year  ending  June  30,  1905 

Year  ending  June  30,  1906 

School 

Total 
Enrollment 

Number 

Dis- 
charged 

Per  Cent 

Total 
Enrollment 

Number 

Dis- 
charged 

Per  Cent 

De  Witt  Clinton    . 
Wadleigh      .     .     . 
Girls'  Technical    . 

2,961 

3,577 
3,984 

837 

886 
1,637 

28 
25 
41 

2,553 
3,574 
3,524 

481 

713 
1,460 

19 
20 

41 

Entire  City     . 

28,674 

9,382 

33 

31,949 

9,871 

31 

TABLES  AND   FACTS  IN   CITY  SCHOOL  REPORTS       79 


Compulsory  Attendance 

The  more  progressive  cities  educationally  have  been  for 
many  years  endeavoring  to  enforce  the  laws  regarding  com- 
pulsory education.  For  this  purpose  attendance  depart- 
ments have  been  developed  which  have  in  charge  the  matter 
of  bringing  truant  children  or  children  illegally  kept  away 
from  school  either  to  their  own  school  or  to  some  institution 
serving  the  purpose  of  a  parental  school.  Many  of  the 
published  reports  give  one  or  more  pages  for  the  purpose  of 
detailing  the  work  of  the  attendance  department,  but  the 
statistics  consist  in  the  main  in  a  bill  of  particulars  which 
provide  but  little  opportunity  for  statistical  interpretation. 
Sometimes  the  number  of  cases  is  simply  given  by  districts, 
as  in  the  Milwaukee  Report : 


Table  69.    Milwaukee 

SHOWING  THE  NUMBER  OF  CASES  OF  TRUANCY  AND 
HALF  DAYS  LOST  DURING  THE  YEAR   1904-1905 


Schools 


East  Division  High  . 
South  Division  High 
West  Division  High  . 


2; 


24 

15 
2 


J3  cj  ca 


.012 
.008 
.001 


The  work  of  the  entire  city  department  is  summarized  in 
the  New  York  Report,  to  which  summary  is  appended  some 
tables  showing  disposition  made  of  incorrigible  children. 


8o 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


Table  70.    New  York 

The  following  statistics  show  the  work  of  the  attendance 
department  for  the  school  years  1 903-1 904  and  1904- 1905, 
the  year  ending  July  31 : 


Number  of  attendance  officers 

Number  of  truant  schools 

Number  of  persons  in  parental  relation  to  chil- 
dren arrested  for  violation  of  Section  4  of 
the  Compulsory  Education  Law: 

(a)  Arrested 

(b)  Fined 

(c)  Imprisoned 

Number  of  persons,  firms,  or  corporations  who 

have  paid  the  penalty  for  employing  chil- 
dren between  8  and  14  years  of  age,  con- 
trary to  the  provisions  of  Section  5  of  the 
Compulsory  Education  Law: 

Corporations 

Number  of  cases  investigated  by  attendance 
officers      

Number  of  cases  reinvestigated  by  attendance 
officers  

Number  of  cases  of  truancy  investigated  by 
attendance  officers 

Number  of  different  individuals  found  to  be 
truants  by  attendance  officers 

Number  of  children  found  to  be  non-attendants 
and  placed  in  school 

Number  of  children  found  to  be  truants  and 
committed  to  institutions 

Number  of  children  found  to  be  truants  and 
committed  to  truant  schools 

Number  of  children  found  employed  contrary 
to  law  and  returned  to  school 


2,916 


139 


532 


1,792 


The  cases  dealt  with  by  District  Superintendents  in  the 
year  ending  July  31,  1905,  are  classified  as  follows: 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      8l 

Number  of  individual  pupils  who  have  been  truants  five  days  or 
more  during  the  school  year  registered  in  the  offices  of  the 
district  superintendents 11,607 

Number  of  such  pupils  dealt  with  by  attendance  officers  .     .     .     10,253 

Number  of  children  brought  before  district  superintendents  for 
hearing  on  the  charge  of  truancy 3,1^9 

Number  of  such  children  recommended  for  commitment  to 

truant  schools 549 

Number  of  children  brought  before  district  superintendents  for 

hearing  on  the  charge  of  incorrigibility 358 

Number  of  such  children  suspended  and  recommended  for  com- 
mitment to  truant  schools I33 

Number  of  such  delinquent  children  transferred  from  one  school 

to  another  on  probation 467 

Number  of  children  paroled  from  truant  schools  and  institutions  427 

Number  of  such  children  who  violated  parole  and  were  returned  118 

In  only  one  or  two  cases  has  it  been  found  that  the  statis- 
tics of  non-attendance  have  been  placed  side  by  side  with 
those  of  attendance  in  such  a  way  that  comparison  can  be 
made.    The  Springfield  report  presents  one  of  these  examples : 


Table  71.    Springfield,  Mass. 

SUMMARY  OF  STATISTICS 

FOR  THE   SCHOOL  YEAR  ENDING  JULY   I,    1904 


Schools 

0 
2 
0 

"0 

0 

H 
0 

0    M 

i) 
P3 

E  a 
■^  0 

'S. 

'0. 

9 

Eg 

T3 

d 

< 

3  a 

d 

-g 
d 

< 

-3 

a 

3 
h 

f 
.d 

04 

d 

B 

1 
2 

B 
"Z 

a 
t-i 

< 

bo 

>-< 

< 

a) 

> 

> 

< 

1 

a 

Central  High    .     . 

Technical  High 

Alden  Street      .     . 

Armory  Street  .     . 

82 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


The  Buffalo  report  gives  in  considerable  detail  the  reasons 
which  were  found  to  prevail  in  case  of  non-attendance  and 
truancy. 

Table  72.    Buffalo 

ANNUAL  REPORT  OF  THE  ATTENDANCE  OFFICERS 


E.C. 

N.E. 

N.W. 

S.E. 

s.w. 

Total 

Total  number  of  cases  reported  by  principal  . 
Total  number  of  cases  reported  by  citizens     . 
Total  number  of  cases  reported  by  policemen 

7,427 
187 
26s 

Total 

i>097 

1,876 

1,936 

1,550 

1,85s 

9,214 

Children  kept  at  home  by  parents  (temporary 

1,598 

Children  kept  at  home  by  parents  (neglect) 

1,881 
1,797 

Children  kept  at  home  by  poverty     .... 
Children  mentally  or  physically  disqualified  . 

. 

794 
20 
98 

Children  withdrawn  from  school  and  sent  to 

207 

Children  whose  residence  could  not  be  found   . 
Children  found  to  be  truants  and  returned  to 

690 
1,762 

Children  arrested  and  taken  before  Police  Jus- 
tice  

Children  found  to  be  truants  and  committed  to 

138 

The  detailed  report  may  take  the  form  of  enumeration  of 
work  each  month  with  some  statement  of  kind  of  action 
taken,  as  shown  in  the  Grand  Rapids  report : 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      83 
Table  73.    Grand  Rapids 
SUMMARY  OF  WORK  OF  TRUANT  OFFICER,  1904-1905 


Character  of  Notices  Served 

a 

a 
0. 
CO 

0 

0 

1 
a 
> 
1 

u 

a 
0 

•a 
a 

t— > 

3 

fa 

< 

1 

1-1 

e2 

Number  of  persons  warned 
for  truancy      .... 

Number  of  persons  warned 
for  incorrigibility      .     . 

302 

77 
46 

2752 

3 

104 

6n 

0        J 
Number  of  persons  warned 
under  compulsory  law  . 

Number  of  special  cases 
investigated     .... 

Number  of  visits  to  stores 
and  factories  .... 

Number  of  persons  taken 
from  street  to  school 

Number   of    persons   ar- 
rested on  warrants  .     . 

12 

351 

44 

294 
39 

311 

43 

322 

43 

284 

343 
44 

434 
40 

477 
66 

Totals 

Number  of  visits  made  to 
schools 

294 
32 

3344 
396 

High  Schools 

Devices  for  statistical  exhibit  for  high  schools  resemble 
in  many  respects  those  for  elementary  schools  in  such  matters 
as  attendance,  regularity  of  attendance,  ages,  etc.  In  a  few 
respects  popular  interest  attaches  to  phases  of  work  that  are 
peculiar  to  high  schools.  In  some  of  the  older  reports  it 
was  customary  to  prove  statistically  that  a  very  considerable 
proportion  of  the  pupils  in  high  schools  were  children  of 
wage  earners;  but  there  is  hardly  any  longer  occasion  to 
defend  the  American  high  school  against  the  charge  of  being 
for  the  rich  only. 


84 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


Very  few  of  the  published  reports  show  the  relation  between 
age  and  grade  of  those  in  high  school.  The  Springfield 
report  is  one  of  the  exceptions : 

Table  74.    Springfield,  Mass. 

CENTRAL  HIGH  SCHOOL 

DISTRIBUTION    OF    PUPILS    BY    AGES    AND    CLASSES,    SEPTEMBER,    I903 


Class 

Age 

Total 

Total 

12 

13 

14 

IS 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

23 

33 

Class 

Post-Graduate    .    ] 

Boys 
Girls 
Boys 
Girls 
Boys 
Girls 
Boys 
Girls 
Boys 
Girls 

I 

I 
3 
18 

21 
16 
27 

9 
19 

3 
8 

I 

5 

II 

21 

7 
12 

3 
13 

I 
5 
4 
7 
2 
2 
2 

4 

14 
48 
66 
62 
92 
82 
ISO 

I2S 

232 

j-      18 

I 

Senior \ 

1 

I 

2 

3 

16 

23 

48 

86 

S 
3 
10 
18 
27 
46 
28 
71 

9 
12 

24 
29 
21 
43 
12 
26 

[    114 

I 
I 

\    IS4 

Junior      ....    -J 

2 

I 
I 

7 
II 

I 

2 

5 

27 

27 

Sophomore      .    .    - 

j     232 

Freshman    .    .    .    - 

I 

(     3S7 

Totals      .    .    . 

2 

20 

62 

180 

208 

177 

125 

73 

24 

2 

I 

I 

87s 

Since  the  high  school  offers  considerable  option  of  work, 
and  is  thus  supposed  to  meet  the  varying  needs  of  different 
classes  of  people,  a  statistical  showing  of  the  subjects  or 
courses  chosen,  and  any  progressive  movements  in  this 
regard,  are  of  value.  The  following  tables  from  high  schools 
with  extensive  curriculum  are  examples : 


Table  75.    New  Haven 

NUMBER  OF  PUPILS  IN  THE  NEW  HAVEN  HIGH  SCHOOL 
PURSUING  VARIOUS  STUDIES 


English 1,554 

History 

American 141 

English 221 

Greek  and  Roman    .     .  696 

Medieval  and  Modern  .  89 

Mathematics 

Algebra 808 


Geometry 558 

Trigonometry     ....  60 

Mechanics 16 

Language 

Greek 63 

German 731 

French 168 

Latin 867 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      85 


Stenography 91 

Typewriting 94 

Physical  Geography       .     .  205 

Commercial  Geography      .  260 

Bookkeeping 105 

Business  Practice  ....  92 

Chemistry 206 

Physics 213 

Electricity 17 

Biology 15s 

Drawing 

Mechanical 337 


Free  Hand    . 

543 

Woodworking  . 

158 

Metal  work 

179 

Forging   .     .     . 

70 

Pattern  Making 

49 

Sewing,  Plain   . 

65 

Art  Needlework 

76 

Dressmaking    . 

54 

Domestic  Science 

197 

Venetian  Iron  . 

2 

Wood  Carving 

146 

Clay  Modeling 

45 

Table  76.    New  York 

NUMBER  OF  PAPERS  MARKED  BY  EACH  COMMITTEE 
AND  THE  AVERAGE  PER  CENT  IN  EACH  SUBJECT 
FOR  THE  SCHOOLS  THROUGHOUT  THE  CITY 


January,  1905 

June,  190s 

Subject 

Number 

of 
Papers 

Average  Per 

Cent  attained 

in  Subject 

Number 

of 
Papers 

Average  Per 

Cent  attained 

in  Subject 

English      .     .     . 
Algebra     .     .     . 
Geometry      .     . 

547 
1,357 
1,448 

64.1 
56.0 
507 

1,079 

1,519 
1,442 

72.8 
67.6 

45-8 

The  following  table  shows  very  clearly  the  trend  in  di- 
rection of  the  more  vocational  education  in  Springfield: 


Table  77.    Springfield,  Mass. 

DISTRIBUTION    BY    COURSES    OF    THE    THREE    UPPER 
CLASSES 


College 
Preparatory 

General 

Commercial 

Totals 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

I898-I899  . 

I90I-I902    . 
I904-I905   . 

61 

75 
72 

76 

61 

129 

137 
136 
201 

72 

52 
78 

116 
166 
156 

188 
218 

234 

12 

39 
48 

25 

45 
106 

37 

84 

154 

145 
166 
198 

217 
272 
391 

362 
438 
589 

86 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


PERCENTAGES 


Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

I898-I899  . 

42 

35 

38 

50 

53 

52 

8 

12 

10 

40 

60 

100 

I90I-I902   . 

45 

22 

31 

31 

61 

50 

24 

17 

19 

38 

62 

100 

I904-I905  . 

37 

33 

34 

39 

40 

40 

24 

27 

26 

34 

66 

100 

The  rapid  decline  in  attendance  at  high  schools  is  some- 
thing that  is  often  discussed  in  general  terms,  but  is  shown 
specifically  in  very  few  school  reports.  The  Boston  table 
shown  on  p.  60  is  an  attempt  to  do  this,  as  also  some  of  the 
tables  shown  in  the  section  on  survival,  p.  69  and  following. 
The  persistency  of  attendance  during  the  year  is  shown  in 
the  following  table  from  the  Wilmington  report : 

Table  78.    Wilmington 

BOYS'   DEPARTMENT  HIGH  SCHOOL 


J2 

i2 

^g^^ 

£  C;='5  ^ 

3 

3 

_^aH  >. 

as  t^^H 

J3 

"0 

"^•2 

h 

a 

i 

ted    to 
ive  not 
y  other 
the  Cit 
1  Year 

ted    to 
ive  bee 
her    P 
e  City 
School 

S 

Foe  Month  Ending 

H 

IH 

XI 

p 

0 

H 

|1 

1 
■< 

mber    admit 
chool  who  h 
nrolled  in  an 
c  School  of 
resent  Schoo 

mber   admit 
chool  who  he 
ailed    in    ot 
chools  of  th 
f  the  present 

s 

1 

1-1 

Xi 

3 

3 

0 

Si 

3iyj  «s  0. 

31/3  mC/3  0 

3 

'^ 

'4, 

H 

< 

< 

PL, 

;z; 

•iZ 

:< 

September  30      .     . 

98.3 

October  31     .     .     . 

97-7 

November  30      .     . 

97.1 

u 

OJ 

«1 

^ 

, 

.a 
0 

"9. 

d 

J3  C 
—  0 

60  J3 

0 

0) 

•a 

a 

■■e 

For  Month  Ending 

£-3 
•H  0 

■a 
.a 

T3 

ql 

3 

.2g 

bO  0 

■3  1) 

p. 

0 

0 

a 

3 

a!  ■" 

>o 

u'o 

u 

11 

» 

^ 

fc 
^ 

fe 

^ 

is  0  « 

xiTsrs 

^ 

1) 

J3    U 

J3    U 

J3 

|2 

a 

R 

F 

Fi 

eog 

H ,0  ?! 

a 

0 

ad 

a 

£ 

3W  s 

3 

3 

3 

3 

:z; 

;z; 

^ 

:z; 

2; 

z 

;? 

IS 

:^; 

'4, 

',<!!; 

'.^ 

September  30     .     . 

October  31    .     .     . 

November  30     .     . 

TABLES  AND   FACTS  IN  CITY  SCHOOL  REPORTS      87 

The  Washington  report  also  presents  a  table  which  makes 
it  possible  to  estimate  persistency  of  attendance : 

Table  79.    WAsmNGXCN,  D.C. 

SHOWING  ENROLLMENT  OF  EACH  WHITE  HIGH  SCHOOL 
FOR  EACH  SCHOOL  YEAR  BY  YEARS,  AS  WELL  AS 
NUMBER  OF  GRADUATES  EACH  YEAR,  ETC. 


1898-1890 

1899-1900 

I 900- I 90 I 

Year 

1 

a 

13 

a 

3 
0 

H 

■3 

a 

a 
u 

a 
S 

a 

0 

3 

m 

0 

"a 
a 
U 

c 

3 
0 

First  year    .... 

1.329 

2,179 

1,264 

Second  year     .    .    . 

709 

809 

692 

Third  year  .... 

282 

357 

338 

Foiirth  year     .    .    . 

257 

217 

26X 

Total    .... 

1.052 

400 

538 

587 

2.S77 

1,126 

403 

496 

640 

2,662 

98s 

377 

458 

745 

2,56s 

Graduates  : 

lOI 

lOI 

108 

108 

Third  year   .    .    . 

Fourth  year      .    . 

107 
22 

34 
8 

60 

76 

95 

48 

55 

198 

Entering  college  . 

20 

50 

The  Chicago  report  combines  a  showing  of  attendance 
with  a  statement  of  promotions : 


Table  80.    CmcAGo 


HIGH  SCHOOLS 


ATTENDANCE,  PROMOTIONS,  ETC.,  DURING  THE  SCHOOL  YEAR  1903-I904 


Ave 

RAGE  Daily  Membership 

Average  Daily  Attendance 

<u 

«j 

High  Schools 

i 

^ 

l^ 

0 

-a 
0 

u 
■a 

i 

0 

.5 

■0 

0 

0 

0 

J3 

0 

0 

J3 

5 
a 

J3 
g 

>  . 

"3 
,0 

a 

> 

fe 

3 
0 

^ 

H 

W 

H 

h 

Z 

H 

w 

H 

H 

Austin     .    .    . 

159-4 

II  7.6 

48.1 

57-2 

382.3 

IS3-7 

111.6 

42.8 

54-4 

362.S 

Calumet        .     . 

148.6 

66.0 

51-6 

20.S 

286.7 

139-5 

62.0 

48. 5 

19.1 

269-1 

Crane,  R.  T.     . 

529-4 

191.9 

103.6 

824.9 

511-7 

184.6 

lOI.I 

797-4 

88 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


Per  Cent  of  Attendance 

Promotions  by 

Grades 

High  Schools 

i 

4) 

T3 
0 

0 

V 

•0 

0 

i 
0 

o 

0 

J= 

ja 

0 

0 

J3 

J3 

g 

1 

0 

-SI 

s 

a 
> 

% 

0 

■z 

H 

M 

H 

H 

'z 
124 

H 

a 

H 

H 

Austin      .    .    . 

96.4 

94.9 

89.0 

95-1 

94.8 

46 

59 

48 

277 

Calumet  .     .     . 

93-9 

94.0 

94.0 

93-2 

93-8 

III 

60 

45 

18 

234 

Crane,  R.  T.     . 

96.7 

96.2 

97.6 

96.7 

30S 

104 

75 

487 

Finally,  attention  may  be  called  to  the  following  form 
from  the  Buffalo  report  which,  in  a  city  having  but  few  high 
schools,  conveys  in  brief  compass  much  valuable  information : 


Table  81.    Buffalo 


HIGH   SCHOOLS 


Annual  registration 

Boys 

Percentage  of  boys 

Annual  average  daily  attendance 

Boys 

Percentage  of  average  daily  attend- 
ance        

Pupils  of  American  parentage,  per  cent 
Pupils  of  foreign  parentage,  per  cent 
Pupils  of  foreign  parentage,  most 
numerous  nationality,  per  cent  . 
Term  registration,  I  term    .... 

Boys 

Term  registration,  II  term  .... 

Boys 

Term     average     daily     attendance, 

I  term 

Boys 

Term     average     daily     attendance, 

II  term 

Boys 

Term  attendance  of  pupils  of  80  days, 
I  term 


C.H.  S. 

M.P.H.  S. 

L.  H.S. 

T.H.S. 

974 

1,235 

1,304 

102 

413 

523 

595 

102 

42 

42 

46 

100 

781 

1,073 

1,106 

74 

313 

450 

503 

74 

80 

87 

85 

73 

64 

67 

75 

75 

36 

33 

25 

25 

12 

20 

7 

9 

922 

1,220 

1,277 

88 

389 

516 

581 

88 

859 

I, III 

1,174 

89 

355 

472 

539 

89 

807 

1,130 

1,155 

73 

327 

472 

525 

73 

754 

1,017 

1,058 

75 

298 

427 

482 

75 

764 

1,178 

1,130 

72 

Total 


3,615 

1,633 

45 

3,034 
1,340 


69 

31 

12 
3,507 

1,574 
3,233 
1,455 

3,165 
1,397 

2,904 
1,282 

3,144 


TABLES  AND    FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL   REPORTS       89 
HIGH  SCHOOLS  —  Continued 


c.  H.s.  M.  P.  H.s.    L.  H.s.   T.H.s.    Total 


Boys 

Term  attendance  of  pupils  of  80  days, 
II  term 

Boys 

Average  boys'  age,  I  term  .... 
Average  girls'  age,  I  term  .... 
Pupils  18  years  old  or  more,  July  i, 

1905 

Boys 

Pupils  who,  in  Sept.,  1904,  entered  for 
the  first  time 

Boys 

Pupils  who,  in  June,  1905,  finished 
their  first  year's  attendance   .     . 

Boys 

Advanced  papers  accepted  .... 
Preliminary  certificates  received   .     . 

Boys 

Advanced  certificates  received  .     .     . 

Boys 

Academic  scholars 

Boys 

Regent's  diplomas  (48  c)  issued    .     . 

Boys 

Regent's  diplomas  (more  than  48  c) 
issued 

Boys 

Graduates,  June,  1905 

Boys 

Teachers,  men,  including  principals 

Teachers,  women 

Average  number  of  pupils  registered 

per  teacher 

Average  number  of  pupils  in  average 

attendance  per  teacher   .  .  . 

Library,  number  of  volumes  .  .  . 

Text-books,  number  of  copies  .  .  . 


299 


256 

IS 
16 

202 
100 

411 

153 

274 

91 
2,724 

795 
354 
585 
195 
921 

383 

137 

45 

16 

7 
130 

55 
10 
21 

31 

25 
4,305 
5,000 


501 

1,067 

460 

16 

16 

117 

57 

478 
209 

458 
200 
3,783 
801 
315 
759 
285 

1,235 
523 
194 

79 

74 

31 

224 

95 

7 

30 

33 

29 

1,892 

14,290 


528 

1,026 

466 

16 

16 


78 

553 
266 

448 
214 
3,615 
532 
240 

739 
329 
1,304 
595 
^^33 
56 

19 

5 

165 

73 
7 

25 

41 

35 

608 

9,020 


119 
97 
97 


19 
281 

390 


1,400 

2,855 

1,256 

16 

16 

511 
238 

1,530 
716 

1,268 

593 

10,241 

2,225 

1,006 

2,083 

809 
3,460 
1,501 

464 

180 

109 

43 

519 

223 

26 

78 

35 

29 

7,086 
28,700 


90 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


C.H.S. 

M.  P.  H.  S. 

L.  H.S. 

T.H.S. 

$32,007.00 

$36,944.00 

$28,763.00 

$4,144.00 

2,000.00 

3,200.00 

4,904.00 

1,100.00 

3.374-07 

4,851-54 

210.13 

150-59 

127-57 

1.191-57 

918.29 

941.00 

1,078.02 

5.474-83 

18,732-38 

6,597.00 

266.42 

70.75 

598.21 

713-32 

1,590.16 

3,121.99 

_  2.991-75 

1,452.60 

216,125.00 

173.475-00 

156,400.00 

41,000.00 

32.86 

29.91 

22.06 

40.63 

47-3° 

34-43 

26.01 

56.00 

8,000.00 

3,220.00 

1,090.00 

400.00 

Total 


Teachers'  salaries      .     . 

Janitors'  salaries  .     .     . 

Regents'  appropriation  . 

Expenditures :    Printing 

Library     

Apparatus     .... 

Building 

Furniture 

Fuel 

Valuation  of  lot  and 
building 

Cost  of  tuition,  per  pupil 
registered 

Cost  of  tuition,  per  pupil 
in  average  daily  at- 
tendance   

Library,  estimated  value 


5101,858.00 

11,204.00 

8,225.61 

906.99 

488.29 

3,050.86 

31,882.23 

1,648.70 

9.156.50 

587,000.00 

28.18 


33-57 
12,710.00 


Evening  Schools 


In  many  cities  evening  schools  are  still  in  the  stage  of 
educational  experimentation.  It  is  not  always  evident  that 
they  respond  to  a  clearly  defined  need,  and  it  is  a  fact  that 
the  attendance  in  them  is  frequently  irregular.  Naturally 
it  is  harder  to  demonstrate  their  educational  worth  than  in 
the  case  of  elementary  or  high  schools.  For  this  reason 
the  public  is  inclined  frequently  to  oppose  the  spending  of 
money  on  evening  schools,  and  we  should  expect  to  find  in 
the  published  reports  of  superintendents  the  fullest  possible 
statistics  of  cost,  attendance,  etc.,  with  respect  to  evening 
schools.  This,  however,  is  the  case  in  but  few  of  the  reports. 
It  would  appear  that  superintendents  and  boards  of  educa- 
tion are  either  unable  or  unwilling  to  give  as  full  data  as 
possible,  and  the  result  is  that  public  knowledge  on  the  sub- 
ject is  incomplete.     The  best  tables  are  given  herewith. 

Since  the  mere  average  of  attendance  in  evening  schools 
is  a  very  uncertain  showing,  the  St.  Louis  table  gives  much 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY  SCHOOL  REPORTS      91 

more  definite  information  as  to  whether  sufficient  attendance 
has  been  made  to  justify  expenditure : 

Table  82.    St.  Louis 

SHOWING  ATTENDANCE   OF   PUPILS  IN  THE  EVENING 
SCHOOLS,   1904-1905 


Name  of  Schools 


Attending 
60  Nights 


50-60 


Less 
than  lo 


O'Fallon  Polytechnic  Institute 

McKinley  High 

Blow 


124 
80 

7 


131 
120 


154 
60 


60 

30 


18 
III 

27 


Name  of  Schools 


M  1^ 

>. 

Si'bO-C 

^u 

J3   U 

Per  Cent 

£  0  2 

Total 
Enrollment 

of 

Attend- 
ance 

s;m 

^< 

4;eL,2 

< 

< 

< 

529 

332 

282 

8s 

26 

424 

264 

213 

81 

26 

126 

71 

52 

73 

18 

Average 
Number 

of 
Teachers 


O'Fallon  Polytechnic  Institute 

McKinley  High 

Blow 


A  similar  table  is  presented  in  the  Chicago  report : 

Table  83.    CmcAGo 

DURATION    OF   ATTENDANCE    OF    PUPILS   ATTENDING 
EVENING  SCHOOLS 


For  20  Weeks  or 
Over 

For  16  Weeks  and 
Less  than  20  Weeks 

For  12  Weeks  and 
Less  than  16  Weeks 

Schools 

g 

fa 

■3 
0 

V 

B 

"a 
0 
H 

"3 
1 

3 

0 

Englewood  High  .     .     . 
MediUHigh    .    .    ,    . 

24 

47 

52 
54 

66 

35 

92 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


For  8  Weeks  and 
Less  than  12  Weeks 

For  4  Weeks  and 
Less  than  8  Weeks 

Less  than  4  Weeks 

Schools 

g 

1 
0 

"3 

B 

■(3 

_4J 

S 

■3 

Crane,  R.  T.,  High  .     . 
Englewood  High  .     .     . 
MedillHigh    .... 

67 

115 

54 

88 
116 

55 

137 
31 
14 

Another  fact,  not  less  significant  than  regularity  of  attend- 
ance in  evening  schools,  is  the  age  of  those  reached.  Here, 
again,  the  average  of  age  is  not  a  satisfactory  statement,  so 
we  find  the  following  in  the  Chicago  report : 

Table  84.    Chicago 
AGE   OF  PUPILS  ATTENDING  EVENING  SCHOOLS 


Between  12  and 
IS  Years 

Between  15  and 
I 8  Years 

Between  18  and 
21  Years 

Schools 

e 

'3 
0 

_« 
S 

■3 
e2 

"3 

■3 

e 

■3 
e2 

Crane,  R.  T.,  High  .     . 
Englewood  High  .    .    . 

MedillHigh     .... 

42 
II 
19 

6 
3 
II 

48 
14 

30 

46 
77 
96 

19 

30 
42 

6s 

107 
138 

60 
S3 
36 

IS 

33 
23 

75 
86 
59 

Between  21  and 
2S  Years 

Between  25  and 
30  Years 

Over  30  Years 

Schools 

4) 

"3 

V 

"3 
S 
\Z 

1 

"3 

4) 

i 

3 
0 

■3 

■3 
b 

■3 

Crane,  R.  T.,  High  .     . 
Englewood  High  .    .    . 
MediUHigh     .... 

2S 

37 
4 

8 

55 

9 

33 
92 
13 

13 
19 

6 

2 
50 

6 

15 
69 
12 

6 
17 
6 

19 

I 

6 
36 

7 

An  excellent  table  combining  information  as  to  age,  attend- 
ance, and  nativity  is  found  in  the  Philadelphia  report : 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL   REPORTS 


93 


Table  85.    Philadelphia 

EVENING  SCHOOL  STATISTICS  FOR  THE  TERM 
OF   1904-1905 


3 

"o 

3 

J3 

k 

3 

I? 

^ 

g 

■3 

bO 

"0 

1-1 

u 

a 

60 

'3 

■0 

a 

a 

0. 

-0 

3 

i^ 

Schools 

tog 

0 

2bO 

bo 

T3 

bo's 

0  S 

^  0 

0  rt 

d"© 

oi 

u  a 

oH 

^•a 

6>* 

■z 

■z 

< 

Z 

< 

< 

^ 

"z 

Evening  High,  Men  .... 

2.59° 

3-981 

2,061 

1. 173 

1.36s 

99 

121 

2,411 

Evening  High,  Women  . 

60 1 

745 

487 

346 

405 

84 

26 

385 

C.  S.  Close,  Males  and  Females 

423 

842 

42s 

355 

26s 

62 

266 

493 

a 

a 

a 

3 

9  — 
vis 

&-3 

v2 

.g 

Schools 

U   bO 

.S"o 

I)  ho 

0 

0 

.9 

S 
0 

If 

J3   C 

^0 

"ots 

■3. 

bo 

< 

M 

2 

1.L 
^11 

^0 

.  0 

.  d 

.  a 

0  rt 

0  =^ 

0   «I 

0    4J 

Z 

^ 

;s 

55 

< 

"Z 

2: 

^ 

12; 

Evening  High,  Men  .... 

1,190 

204 

43 

12 

21 

2,546 

380 

525 

530 

Evening  High,  Women   . 

248 

63 

21 

2 

23 

500 

76 

77 

02 

C.  S.  Close,  Males  and  Females 

70 

II 

2 

17 

570 

8 

41 

223 

Another  excellent  table  showing  how  many  facts  may  be 
combined  in  one  comprehensive  showing  is  from  the  Buffalo 
report : 


94 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


Table  86.    Buffalo 


EVENING  GRAMMAR  SCHOOLS 


ELEVEN   SCHOOLS.      TWENTY   WEEKS,    FROM   OCTOBER    3,    I904,    TO 
APRIL   29,    1905 

(School  in  session:  3  evenings  per  week,  from  7.30  to  9.30) 


Total 

First  Week 

Seventeenth 
Week 

Term 

No.  of 
Teachers 
including 
Principal 

School 

Regis- 
tration 

Regis- 
tration 

Av.  At- 
tend- 
ance 

Regis- 
tration 

Av.  At- 
tend- 
ance 

Regis- 
tration 

Average 
Attendance 

Cost 

of 

Tui- 

■3 

0 

0 

0 

■3 
0 

0 

m 

0 

"3 
0 

0 

m 

0 

0 

m 

2 
0 
H 

0 
m 

» 

a 

1 

0 

i 

tion 

No.  2     .     . 
No.  20    .     . 
No.  31    .     • 

215 

256 
341 

2IS 
204 
218 

135 
194 
273 

13s 
144 
180 

I2S 
184 
211 

125 
13s 
132 

102 
no 
196 

102 
73 
120 

87 
93 
163 

87 
60 
96 

123 
164 
216 

123 

116 
134 

107 
140 

178 

107 
96 
106 

87 
8s 
82 

8 

6 
10 

I 
4 
5 

S615 

770 

1,200 

Salaries:  Supervisor,  $230;  principals,  $3.50;  male  assistants,  $2.50;  female  assistants, 
$2;  janitors,  $2  per  evening. 

Expenditures:  Teachers,  $9,211;  janitors,  $1,244;  total,  $10,455;  excluding  supervisor's 
salary,  but  including  the  salaries  ($332)  of  three  teachers  of  domestic  science  at  Nos.  20,  31, 
35,  44,  and  57,  and  ($155)  of  two  teachers  of  sewing  at  Nos.  20,  31,  38,  and  57. 

Cost  of  tuition:  $5.89  per  pupil  registered,  $6.90  per  pupil  in  average  attendance,  referring 
to  the  term  averages. 

Duration  of  term:  15  weeks  at  No.  2;  17  weeks  at  Nos.  35,  38,  and  43;  18  weeks  at  No.  20; 
20  weeks  at  all  other  schools  which  added  one  more  day  after  the  twentieth  week.  No.  2 
finished  at  the  same  time  with  Nos.  31,  39,  44,  55,  57,  and  58,  having  commenced  6  weeks 
later  than  the  other  schools;  it  added  an  extra  week  of  4  evenings  when  the  other  schools  were 
closed  for  Christmas  vacation,  and  was  open  4  evenings  for  5  weeks  all  together.  No.  57  counted 
one  week  of  4  evenings  in  starting,  Nos.  35  and  43  an  additional  day  after  closing.  During 
the  week  after  the  vacation,  all  schools,  excluding  No.  2,  were  open  for  2  evenings.^ 

Pupils  who  attended  i  evening  only,  44  (30  boys);  who  attended  2  evenings  only, 
38  (27  boys);  who  attended  3  evenings  only,  25  (19  boys);  total  107  (76  boys).  This 
enumeration  excludes  Nos.  2,  57,  and  58. 


As  showing  the  cost  alone,  the  following  table  from  the  St. 
Louis  report  is  satisfactory  : 

*  Refers  to  the  total  term  registration. 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      95 

Table  87.    St.  Louis 

DETAILED  STATEMENT  OF  EXPENDITURES  FOR  EVEN- 
ING SCHOOLS  FOR  FISCAL  YEAR   1904-1905 


Salaries 

Text-Books 

Schools 

0 
■5 

1—1 

0 

4JI-1 

Is 
0 

So 
0 

1 

a 

Central  High  .     .     . 
McKinley  High    .     . 
Blow 

$1,938 

1,452 

609 

$170 

152 

50 

$2,108 

1,604 

659 

$57 
22 

$60 
262 

3 

$60 

320 

25 

$24 

67 

6 

Schoolroom  Supplies 

0 
u 

h 

> 

< 

Schools 

S 

0  « 

If 

en 

a  in 

II 

11 

"3 
'0 

H 

p. 

1 

Central  High  .     .     . 
McKinley  High    .     . 
Blow 

$32 

8 

$52 

8 

$2,225 

2,000 

691 

332 
264 

71 

$6 
7 
9 

In  addition  to  the  above  illustrations,  it  may  be  pointed  out 
that  the  published  reports  for  the  schools  of  St.  Louis,  Chicago, 
Providence,  and  a  few  other  cities  give  comprehensive  infor- 
mation regarding  age,  attendance,  nativity,  character  of 
studies  taken,  cost,  and  many  other  facts  which  tend  to  give 
the  public  a  clear  notion  of  the  work  of  the  evening  school 
system. 

Vacation  Schools 

Even  more  than  the  evening  school  may  the  vacation  school 
be  said  to  be  in  an  experimental  stage.  Many  cities  are, 
however,  experimenting,  and  any  reader  of  the  reports  must 
be  disappointed  with  the   meagerness  of  the   information 


96 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


furnished  to  the  public  regarding  the  main  facts  of  the  new 
work.  After  stating  that  the  cost  of  the  vacation  schools 
for  the  year  1904  was  $1,495  for  salaries  of  teachers  and  jani- 
tors, and  $184  for  supplies,  or  $2.34  for  each  child  in  average 
daily  attendance,  the  Cambridge  report  gives  the  following 
table : 


Table  88.    Cambridge 


School 

Subject 

Number 
Registered 

Average 
Attendance 

Enghsh  High  School    .     .     . 
English  High  School    .     .     . 
English  High  School    .     .     . 

Academic  .     .     . 
Basketry    .     .     . 
Cooking    .     .     . 

52 
96 

99 

35 
57 
63 

The  New  York  report  gives  attendance  by  schools  in  the 
following  form: 


Table  8q.    New  York 


VACATION  SCHOOLS 


MANHATTAN 


School 

Number  of 
Teachers 

Total 
Enrollment 

Aggregate 
Attendance 

Average 
Attendance 

Per  Cent 

on  Total 

Enrollment 

One      .... 
Seven    .... 
Eight    .... 

17 
17 
17 

813 

787 

1,005 

13,610 
10,113 
15,911 

454 

337 

530 

55 
42 

52 

Allied  to  the  vacation  school  is  the  organized  playground 
for  which  also  various  cities  present  statistics.  In  the  Newark 
report  we  find  the  following : 


TABLES   AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      97 

Table  90.    Newark 

PLAYGROUNDS 


Playground 

Session 

Average  Daily  ATTE>fDANCE 

Number  of 

Males 

Females 

Totals 

Teachers 

Branch  Brook  Park  .     . 
West  Side  Park   .     .     . 
East  Side  Park    .     .     . 

All  day 
All  day 
All  day 

405 
274 
296 

236 
181 

737 

477 

4 
4 
5 

As  in  the  case  of  vacation  schools,  the  New  York  report 
gives  the  fullest  information  regarding  playgrounds  in  the 
following  form : 


Table  91.    New  York 

VACATION   SCHOOLS  — MANHATTAN 

VACATION   PLAYGROUNDS 


School 


Seven  . 
Eleven  . 
Fourteen 
Sixteen  . 


Number  of 
Teachers 


Aggregate 
Attendance 


33,030 

12,735 

19,277 
7,808 


OPEN-AIR   PLAYGROUND 


Average 
Attendance 


688 

354 
402 
163 


65  th  Street,  West  of  Broadway 

2 

11,092 

231 

KINDERGARTEN  CENTER 

Bellevue  Hospital  .... 

I 

1,571 

33 

AFTERNOON   ROOF   PLAYGROUND 

Educational  Alliance  .     .     . 

I 

75,349 

1,570 

98 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


EVENING  ROOF  PLAYGROUNDS 


One .    .    . 

Twenty 
Twenty -one 


118,142 

196,294 

88,024 


2,461 
4,089 
1,834 


AFTERNOON  PLAYGROUNDS  —  FOR  MOTHERS  AND  BABIES 


Eight      .      . 

Thirteen    . 
Seventy-five 


11,463 

8,300 

12,518 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 


239 
261 


One  .     . 
Twenty 


89,459 
120,982 


503 
587 


PUBLIC   SCHOOL   BATHS 


School 

Opened 

Closed 

Total  Number  Bathed 

Boys 

Girls 

One 

Thirty-four 

July  I 
July  I 

Sept.  2 
Sept.  2 

12,838 
12,358 

14,696 
17,545 

School  Libraries 

Though  the  idea  of  a  schoolroom  or  school-building  library 
for  the  use  of  children  is  by  no  means  new,  it  is  nevertheless 
true  that  many  cities  have  made  little  progress  in  developing 
them.  In  a  few  cities  the  school  library  has  become  a  great 
adjunct  in  education,  and  systematic  efforts  are  made  to 
develop  such  libraries.  A  few  city  reports  give  sufiicient 
information  regarding  this  work  to  make  it  desirable  to 
present  it  in  statistical  form.  Some  of  the  tables  are  full 
of  significant  information,  whilst  others  are  almost  meaning- 
less. 


TABLES  AND   FACTS  IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      99 


The  following  tables  from  the  New  York  report  are  quite 
full : 

Table  92.    New  York 

REPORT  ON  SCHOOL  LIBRARIES 

SEPTEMBER,    I904   TO   JUNE,   I905 


Borough 

Number 
Schools 
Reported 

Number 

Classes 

Number 

Class 
Libraries 

Number 
Volumes 

Class 
Libraries 

Number 
Volumes 
Reference 
Libraries 

Total 
Volumes 
Reference 
and  Class 
Libraries 

Manhattan 

The  Bronx 

Brooklyn 

Queens 

Richmond        .... 

185 
41 

13s 
76 
34 

5,391 
973 

3,652 
909 
286 

4,811 
801 

2,655 
684 
224 

169,536 

29,712 

85,685 

23,137 

8,493 

82,803 

20,182 

21,65s 

6,8s4 

2,105 

252,339 
49,894 

107,340 
29,991 
10,688 

Totals 

471 

11,211 

9.17s 

316,563 

133,689 

450,252 

Increase  over  1903- 1904 

32 

1,066 

1,194 

70,415 

20,277 

90,692 

CIRCULATION 


Borough 

Class 
Libraries 

Reference 
Libraries 

Total 

Manhattan 

Brooklyn 

The  Bronx 

3,411,987 

1,416,483 

476,883 

246,017 

67.769 

128,561 

31,934 

70,920 

19,690 

2,127 

3,540,548 

1,448,417 

547,803 

265,707 

69,896 

Totals 

S.619.139 

253.232 

5,872,371 

Increase  over  1903-1904  (5  months  only)  .    .    . 

2,950,670 

161,98s 

3,112,655 

CIRCULATION    OF   CLASS   LIBRARIES   BY   GRADES 


First  year 
Second  year  . 
Third  year     . 
Fourth  year  . 
Fifth  year 
Sixth  year 
Seventh  year 
Eighth  year   . 

Total      . 


Teachers'  Reference  Libraries      .    . 
Total  Reference  and  Class  Libraries 


648,749 
746,720 
028,340 
969,666 
808,481 
672,451 
465,051 
379,681 

5,619,139 

253.232 


5,872,371 


lOO 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


The  following  table  from  the  New  Orleans  report  is  of 
interest : 

Table  93.    New  Orleans 


VOLUMES  IN  SCHOOL   LIBRARY 

session  I 904- I 905 


(U 

c3 
C 
0 

J3 

T) 

1. 

>> 

J3 

0. 
2 

1 

Colored 

Elementary  Schools 

13 
1^ 

1 
"0 

0 

° 

1 

■s-S 

3 

1 

a 

0! 

3 
0 

« 

P^ 

C/3 

w 

« 

H 

ta 

^ 

CL, 

:^; 

0 

u 

« 

^ 

H 

FIRST   DISTRICT 

Fisk 

30 

4 

19 

9 

12 

9 

26 

6 

I 

8 

5 

I 

45 

53 

228 

SECOND   DISTRICT 

Robertson     .... 

22 

7 

7 

22 

10 

12 

45 

40 

18 

29 

ID 

3 

II 

10 

245 

The  financial  side  of  the  school  library  is  especially  brought 
out  in  the  following  table  from  the  Paterson  report : 

Table  94.    Paterson 

SHOWING  CONDITION  OF  LIBRARIES  IN  THE  SEVERAL 
SCHOOLS  FOR  YEAR  ENDING  JUNE,   1903 


^fl 

3   (U 

^1 

ti 

0  rt 

a 

1 

k 

t-< 

XI 

3 
•0 

>> 

is 

3  J= 

in  u 

0    !S 

S8; 

^■a 

tn 

< 

T3 

>  3 

0  fcO 

.2-= 

•2< 

°'o 

S-c 

Name  of 
School 

0) 

a 

S^  0 

S  3 

P 

m  6 

_3 
>  & 

_3 

§1 

3  > 

E  S 

11 

.Q  3 

0  g  I- 
ggs 

P 
Pa 

1-5 
I.S 

II 

II 

sl 

< 

< 

< 

< 

'A 

y. 

< 

< 

X 

:? 

Ph 

Pl. 

High    .     . 

No.  I  .     . 

$25 

S30 

70 

185 

164 

$100 

No.  2  .     . 

800 

$10 

500 

2,600 

150  $30 

No.  3  .     . 

$11 

80 

$10 

80 

70 

617 

$9 

6 

490 

TOO 

15 

No.  4  .     . 

8 

3 

100 

50 

3 

TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY  SCHOOL  REPORTS      lOI 

Medical  Inspection 

Medical  inspection  is  yet  too  imperfectly  developed  in 
American  education  to  admit  of  definite  description  in 
school  reports.  In  many  large  cities  it  does  not  go  beyond 
some  temporary  matters  of  dealing  with  epidemics  and 
vaccination.  At  present  it  is  diflicult  for  the  interested 
student  to  discover,  even  where  inspection  is  well  developed, 
what  it  costs  to  maintain.  Only  the  largest  cities  present 
any  statistics  at  all  (with  the  exception  of  Newark)  and 
these  barely  give  certain  classified  totals. 

The  first  table  is  taken  from  the  Chicago  report,  and  is 
valuable  as  indicating  the  number  of  suspicious  cases  ex- 
amined each  month,  and  the  size  of  the  inspecting  force: 


Table  95.    Chicago 
REPORT  OF  MEDICAL  INSPECTION  OF  SCHOOLS 


u 

s 

l^ 

el!; 

"a 

3 

Date 

1 

b 

s 

S. 

0 

Ph 

a 

2 

a 

0 

1 

_o 
■3 

E 

0 

5 

_3 
W 

EW 
3 

_  CO 

•2  " 

"a 

!-• 

ca 

0 

XI 

c 
0 

b 
3 

^« 

B 

'■B 

be 

C 

U 

x: 

a 

^n^.B 

l^« 

^B 

^ 

CO 

^ 

1^ 

u 

H 

IS 

CL, 

CL. 

oi 

w 

0 

H 

H 

SC 

2: 

September,  1903  . 

106 

625 

9 

14 

October,  1903 .    . 

166 

683 

9 

12 

November,  1903  . 

1 

155 

701 

12 

II 

December,  1903  . 

58 

315 

12 

2 

January,  1904      . 

64 

285 

10 

I 

February,  1904    . 

78 

816 

12 

7 

March,  1904    .    . 

233 

i,8is 

12 

3 

April,  1904  .     .     . 

118 

966 

12 

I 

May,  1904  ,    .    . 

102 

959 

12 

June,  1904  .     .    . 

102 

576 

12 

Total    .    .    . 

67 

26 

44 

8 

113 

118 

166 

14 

290 

147 

51 

3 

13s 

1,182 

7.741 

SI 

The  next  two  tables  are  taken  from  the  New  York  report 
and  serve  fairly  well  to  indicate  the  extent  of  the  work  there, 
and  indicate  also  the  progress  in  the  recognition  of  chronic 


I02 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


ailing  conditions  as  well  as  those  other  illnesses  which  take 
the  form  of  epidemics: 

Table  96.    New  York 

REPORT  OF  WORK  PERFORMED  BY  MEDICAL  INSPEC- 
TORS OF  SCHOOLS  IN  ALL  BOROUGHS,  CITY  OF  NEW 
YORK,  1903,  1904,  1905 


1903 

1904 

190S 

Number  of  visits  to  schools     .     . 
Number  of  children  examined 
Number  of  children  excluded  .     . 

Reasons  for  exclusion: 

Measles 

Diphtheria 

Scarlet  Fever 

Whooping  Cough 

Contagious  Eye  Diseases    .     . 

Pediculosis 

Claicken  Pox 

Contagious  Skin  Diseases    .     . 
Miscellaneous 

103,301 

11,301,691 

65,294 

250 

530 

66 

364 

32,525 

21,100 

909 

4,029 

5,521 

101,766 

12,236,050 

25,369 

1,172 

155 

55 

187 

10,624 

8,717 

780 

2,123 

1,556 

88,964 

6,285,435 

18,844 

312 

74 

47 

351 

8,833 

4,692 

937 
2,018 
1,580 

Total 

65,294 

25,369 

18,844 

Table  97.    New  York 

PHYSICAL  RECORD 

MARCH   27   TO  DECEMBER   23,    1905 

Number  of  cases  of 

Bad  nutrition 3,283 

Diseased  anterior  cervical  glands 14,214 

Diseased  posterior  cervical  glands 3,047 

Chorea 738 

Cardiac  disease 895 

Pulmonary  disease 600 

Skin  disease 989 

Deformity  of  spine 485 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY  SCHOOL  REPORTS      103 

Deformity  of  chest 401 

Deformity  of  extremities 498 

Defective  vision 16,394 

Defective  hearing 1,296 

Defective  nasal  breathing 6,182 

Defective  teeth 18,182 

Defective  palate 698 

Hypertrophied  tonsils 8,347 

Posterior  nasal  growths 5>i^9 

Defective  mentality 1,210 

Where  treatment  was  necessary 33)55^ 

Number  examined 5S>332 

Special  Statistics  of  Teachers 

The  facts  regarding  the  teaching  force  of  a  city  which 
may  be  presented  in  statistical  form  embrace  such  cate- 
gories as:  number,  number  in  each  class,  classified  salaries, 
kind  of  education,  length  of  service  in  city,  total  length  of 
service,  etc. 

Some  of  the  reports  give  lists  of  teachers  with  names  and 
addresses;  in  a  few  instances  salary  is  added,  and  in  oc- 
casional cases  the  character  of  the  education  of  the  teacher. 
Many  of  the  reports  publish  salary  schedules.  The  number 
of  pupils  per  teacher  is  given  in  a  few  instances,  or  the  num- 
ber of  teachers  under  charge  of  one  supervisor. 

The  following  is  an  example  of  a  classified  statement  of  the 
principal  facts  regarding  the  teaching  force : 

Table  98.    Reading 

The  following  is  the  Annual  Statistical  report  of  the  Superintendent 
for  the  school  year  ending  June,  1904,  to  State  Department: 

Number  of  schoolhouses 47 

Number  of  schoolrooms 320 

Seating  capacity 14,000 

Number  of  rooms  without  sufficient  seating  capacity    ....  o 

Number  of  houses  built  during  the  year 2 

Number  of  good  schoolhouses       47 


104 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


Number  of  rooms  with  suitable  furniture 320 

Number  of  rooms  supplied  with  furniture  during  the  year    .     .  16 

Nimiber  of  schools 312 

Number  of  graded  schools 312 

Number  in  which  the  Bible  is  read 312 

Number  in  which  any  of  the  higher  branches  are  taught       .     .  2 

Number  of  public  examinations  held i 

Number  of  provisional  certificates  granted 85 

Number  of  professional  certificates  granted 3 

Number  of  applicants  rejected i 

Number  of  male  teachers  employed 9 

Number  of  female  teachers  employed 324 

Average  age  of  teachers 29 

Number  of  teachers  who  have  had  no  previous  experience    .     .  13 

Number  who  had  previously  taught  five  or  more  annual  terms  12 

Nximber  of  teachers  employed  who  hold  provisional  certificates  34 

Number  of  teachers  employed  who  hold  professional  certificates  271 

Number  of  teachers  employed  who  hold  permanent  certificates  28 
Number  of  teachers  employed  who  are  graduates  at  a  State 

Normal  School i 

Number  who  have  attended  a  State  Normal  School  but  are  not 

graduates     .     .     • o 

Number  of  teachers  employed  who  were  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools 319 

Number  educated  in  academies  or  seminaries i 

Number  who  are  graduates  of  colleges 12 

The  following  enumeration  of  the  attendance,  etc.,  of  each 
teacher,  found  in  the  Pawtucket  report,  is  possible  only  in 
the  report  of  a  small  city: 

Table  99.    Pawtucket 


0 

O-n 

s^ 

"o  V 

> 

Names  of  Teachers 

0  S3 

0  ^ 

05 

01  C3 

eg 

0 
1- 

§« 

1^    ■•-> 

bcrf 

s> 

■an 

ii< 

>r^< 

a-~ 

z 

^; 

2; 

< 

< 

Z 

•z 

CHURCH  miL 

23 

16 

10 

34 

32 

93 

21 

Annie  L.  Chatterton 

39 

22 

3 

52 

48 

92 

90 

Sara  H.  Boyle 

12 

12 

20 

19 

94 

24 

TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL   REPORTS      105 

The  summaries  of  teachers  and  pupils  found  in  the  Boston 
reports  convey  useful  information  in  brief  form: 


Table  100.    Boston 


SUMMARY 


1 

CO 

s 

Number  of 
Regular  Teachers 

s§ 

!z;m 

< 

u 

a 
a 

XI 

d 
< 

1 
i 

< 

< 

1 

< 

a 

P-, 

1 

General  Schools 

a 
1 

g 
1 

3 
0 
H 

Normal     .     .     . 

I 

5 

10 

15 

266 

260 

6 

97-7 

265 

Latin  and  High 

12 

98 

117 

215 

6,732 

6,286 

446 

93-3 

6,366 

Grammar      .     . 

62 

134 

87s 

1,009 

44,665 

41,109 

3,556 

92.0 

43,622 

A  special  table  to  indicate  term  of  service  is  found  some- 
times as  in  the  Newark  report: 

Table  ioi.    Newark 

TERM  OF   SERVICE   OF  TEACHERS 

In  the  following  table  the  teachers  of  the  city  are  grouped  according 
to  their  total  experience  in  teaching : 

Number  who  have  been  teaching  i  year  or  less 66 

Number  between  i  and  5  years        199 

Number  between  5  and  10  years 297 

Number  between  10  and  15  years 174 

Or  to  indicate  salary  schedule : 

Table  102.    St.  Louis 


-0 

§ 

■0 

IS 

> 

u 

3 

> 
'in 

a 

> 
to 

.S 
bo 

H 

$3,500 

1,840 
1,600 

1,304 
976 

S3 ,600 
1,968 

1,744 

1,432 
1,040 

Prin.  Class  A  Schools  (18  or  more  Assts.) 
Prin.  Class  B  Schools  (14  to  17  Assts.) 
Prin.  Class  C  Schools  (10  to  13  Assts.)  . 
Prin.  Class  D  Schools  (8  or  9  Assts.)     . 

82,064 
1,840 
1,540 
1,104 

$2,184 
1,968 
1,640 
1,160 

$2,304 
1,216 

$2,400 

io6 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


More  satisfactory  is  the  schedule  showing  salaries  dis- 
tributed according  to  the  number  receiving  them;  as  in 
Chicago  report: 

Table  103.    Chicago 

TEACHERS  IN   ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS 


Salary 
$1,025 
1,000 

975 
950 
925 
900 

875 
850 
825 

775 


Number 
Receiving 

2 

14 

42 

38 

193 

168 

1,006 

1,785 
202 

40 


Salary 

S750 
725 
700 

675 
650 
625 
600 

550 


Number 
Receiving 

219 

37 

189 

8 

3 

79 
164 

356 


Total  number 


4,545 


Finally  the  following  table  from  the  Erie  report  shows  how 
a  large  number  of  facts  may  be  satisfactorily  presented  in 
one  table: 


Table  104.    Erie 


TEACHERS  —  1901-1902 


To- 
tal 

No.  edu- 
cated 

wholly  in 
Erie 

No.  gradu- 
ated from 
Erie  High 
School 

No.  Erie 
Training 

Class 

No.  hold- 
ing State 
Normal, 
College  or 
University 
Cert. 

No. 
having 
Taught 
previ- 
ous to 
Erie 

Certificate 

Experience 

Prov. 

Prof. 

Perm. 

Less  than  i  year 
One    .... 
Two    .... 
Three  .... 

8 
22 
20 

8 
IS 
19 

37 

8 
18 
20 
19 

8 
17 
19 
IS 

2 

2 

8 

22 

S 

3 

IS 
14 

Years' 
Experience 

German 
Teachers 

Principals 

Number  receiving  per  Month 

As 
Eng- 
lish 

As 
Ger- 
man 

As 

Teacher 

Only 

As 

Prin- 
cipal 

S20 
to 

S25 

$26 
to 

$30 

$3 1 
to 

S3  5 

$36 

to 

S40 

Sro6 

to 

$110 

$121 

to 

$125 

$136 

to 

$140 

SI56 

to 

$160 

$181 

to 

$185 

$211 

to 
$215 

Less  than  i  year 
One    .... 

2 
2 

S 

I 

I 

I 

6 

7 
1 

I 

2 
10 

3 

I 

2 
16 
IS 

Two    .... 

Three.     .     .     . 

TABLES  AND    FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL   REPORTS 


107 


Summaries  of  Principal  Facts 

Where  considerable  statistical  information  has  been 
collected,  it  is  sometimes  possible  to  combine  much  of  it 
in  one  presentation  which  becomes  highly  effective  for  the 
information  of  the  busy  reader.  An  examination  of  many 
reports  will  show  that  few  of  them  succeed  well  in  sum- 
marizing information  in  a  statistical  way.  The  following 
tables  represent  some  of  the  most  successful  devices  in  this 
direction.  The  first  is  the  recapitulation  form  used  in  the 
Duluth  report  where  facts  of  all  varieties  are  presented  so 
as  to  make  comparison  for  four  years  possible: 


Table  105.    Duluth 


RECAPITULATION 

STATISTICS 


Number  of  cases  corporal  punishment    .     .    . 

Number  times  tardy 

Number  times  absent 

Number  suspended  for  irregular  attendance  . 
Number  suspended  for  misconduct  .  .  .  . 
Absence  of  teachers  (in  half  days)  .  .  .  . 
Number  of  schoolhouses  owned  by  city  .  . 
Number  of  schoolhouses  built  during  year 
Number  of  schoolhouses  under  construction    . 

Number  of  schoolrooms  in  use 

Number  of  sittings  in  use 

Number  of  supervising  principals 

Number  of  teachers  in  grammar  grades      .    . 
Number  of  teachers  in  intermediate  grades 
Number  of  teachers  in  primary  grades   .     .     . 
Number  of  teachers  in  ungraded  schools     .     . 

Number  of  teachers  of  drawing 

Number  of  teachers  in  High  School  .  .  .  . 
Number  of  teachers  of  penmanship  .  .  .  . 
Number  of  teachers  of  physical  culture  .  .  . 
Number  of  teachers  in  kindergartens  .  .  . 
Total  number  of  teachers  and  principals  .  . 
Average  monthly  wages  of  teachers  —  male  . 
Average  monthly  wages  of  teachers  —  female 


io8 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


RECAPITULATION  —  (Continued) 

STATISTICS 


1899 


Money  expended  for  text-books 

Cost  per  pupil  for  text-books  on  enrollment 

Cost  per  pupil  for  text-books  on  average  attendance 

Cost  per  pupil  for  text-books  on  average  number  belonging  .  .  . 
Money  expended  for  supplies  (not  text- books,  fuel,  etc.)  .... 
Cost  f)er  pupil  for  supplies  on  enrollment  (not  text-books,  fuel,  etc.) 

Cost  per  pupil  on  average  attendance 

Cost  per  pupil  on  average  number  belonging 

Cost  per  pupil  for  janitors'  salaries  on  enrollment 

Cost  per  pupil  for  janitors'  salaries  on  average  attendance  .  .  . 
Cost  per  pupil  for  janitors'  salaries  on  average  number  belonging  . 

Cost  per  pupil  for  teachers'  salaries  on  enrollment 

Cost  per  pupil  for  teachers'  salaries  on  average  attendance  .  .  . 
Cost  per  pupil  for  teachers'  salaries  on  average  number  belonging 

Cost  per  pupil  for  incidentals  on  enrollment 

Cost  per  pupil  for  incidentals  on  average  attendance 

Cost  per  pupil  for  incidentals  on  average  number  belonging  .     .     . 

Cost  per  pupil  for  fuel  and  lights  on  enrollment 

Cost  per  pupil  for  fuel  and  lights  on  average  attendance  .... 
Cost  per  pupil  for  fuel  and  lights  on  average  number  belonging     . 

Cost  per  pupil  for  repairs  and  improvements 

Cost  per  pupil  for  repairs  and  improvements  on  average  attendance 
Cost  per  pupil  for  repairs  and  improvements  on  average  number  be- 
longing     

Total  cost  per  pupil  on  enrollment 

Total  cost  p)er  pupil  on  average  attendance 

Total  cost  per  pupil  on  average  number  belonging 

Cost  per  pupil  for  sundries  on  enrollment 

Cost  per  pupil  for  sundries  on  average  attendance 

Cost  per  pupil  for  sundries  on  average  number  belonging      .     .     . 

Grand  total  per  pupil  on  enrollment 

Grand  total  per  pupil  on  average  attendance 

Grand  total  per  pupil  on  average  number  belonging 

Number  of  school  days 

Number  of  pupils  enrolled 

Number  under  5  years  of  age  enrolled 

Number  between  5  and  8  enrolled 

Number  between  8  and  16  enrolled 

Number  between  16  and  21  enrolled 

Number  over  21  years  of  age  enrolled 


A  similar  table  from  the  Grand  Rapids  report  gives  the 
main  facts  in  a  comparative  way  and  partly  for  two  years. 


TABLES   AND    FACTS   IN    CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      109 
Table  106.    Grand  Rapids 

GENERAL  STATISTICS 


1.  Population  of  city  according  to  state  census  .     .    . 

2.  School  population  according  to  census  (legal)  school 

age  s  to  20  years     

3.  Whole  number  of  different  pupils  enrolled 

4.  Estimated  number  in  schools  not  public    . 

5.  Number  of  school  days  in  the  year  .     . 

6.  Number  of  days  taught 

7.  Estimated  cash  value  of  school  property 

8.  Assessed  value  of  taxable  property  .     . 

9.  Tax  for  school  purposes,  mills  per  dollar 

10.  Cost  of  superintendence  and  instruction 

11.  Cost  of  permanent  improvements     .     . 

12.  Cost  of  incidentals 


95.783 

26,907 
15,662 
4.4SO 
200 
188 
$1,700,000.00 
73.93S.6oo.oo 
S 
284,849-30 
16,399.94 
147,982.01 


100,000 

26,908 
15.539 
5. 112 
200 
194 
,750,000.00 
,507,026.00 
4.80 
285,413.50 
30,880.98 
130,615.49 


13.  Total  enrollment  in  each  department 

14.  Total  transfers  in  each  department 

15.  Total  different  pupils  enrolled 

16.  Total  of  different  pupils  enrolled  last  year    .    .    . 

17.  Average  number  belonging 

18.  Average  number  belonging  last  year 

19.  Average  daily  attendance 

20.  Average  daily  attendance  last  year 

21.  Actual  number  of  pupils  belonging  at  close  of  school 

year       

22.  Number  of  men  teachers,  including  superintendent 

23.  Number  of  women  teachers 

24.  Number  of  special  teachers 

25.  Number  of  pupils  to  teacher,  based  on  average  num- 

ber belonging 

26.  Cost  of  education  per  capita  for  superintendence  and 

instruction,  based  on  average  number  belong- 
ing     

27.  Cost  per  capita  for  incidentals,  based  on  average 

number  belonging 

28.  Total  cost  per  capita  for  education 

29.  Number  of  nonresident  pupils 

30.  Average  age  of  class  promoted 

31.  Number  of  pupils  studying  Latin,  606;    Greek,  9; 

German,  425;   French,  86 


0 

S  a 
•r  u 

£q 

0 

la 

Is 

12,796 

7,671 

1,673 

4,027 

2,368 

206 

8,769 

S.303 

1.467 

8,939 

S.231 

1,492 

7.332 

4.381 

1,189 

7.546 

4.231 

1.215 

6,939 

4.158 

1.158 

7.113 

4.043 

1,162 

5.771 

3.736 

1,182 

2i 

7i 

Mi 

223iJ 

I43bS 

30 

2 

2 

36.8 

35 

27.6 

.f20.06 

$24.44 

$36.39 

10.12 

10.12 

IO.I2 

30.18 

34-56 

46.51 

14 

21 

43 

II. I 

14.8 

18.S 

22,140 
6,601 

15.539 
15,662 
12,902 
12,992 

12,25s 
12,318 

10,689 

25 

397 


35 


$22.12 


IO.T2 
32.24 


78 


no  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

The  scheme  adopted  by  the  Superintendents'  Convention 
in  1899  also  shows  a  large  number  of  facts  in  order,  the 
illustration  being  taken  from  the  Kansas  City  report: 

Table  107.    Kansas  City 

REPORT    OF    SCHOOL    RECEIPTS   AND    EXPENDITURES 
FOR  THE  YEAR 

{Scheme  adopted  by  City  Superintendents^  Convention,  1899) 

1.  Estimated  actual  value  of  all  property  in  the  city  (or 

school  district  or  corporation) 

2.  Assessed  valuation  of  all  property  in  city  (or  school  dis- 

trict or  corporation) $76,000,000 

3.  Rate  of  school  tax  levied  on  each  dollar  of  assessed  val- 

uation of  city  (or  school  district  or  corporation)   .     .  10  mills 

RECEIPTS 

4.  Received  from  state  apportionment  of  taxes      .     .     .  78,445 

5.  Received  from  county  apportionment  or  taxes  .     .     . 

6.  Received  from  city  (or  school  district  or  corporation) 

taxes 773,196 

7.  Received  from  fines,  licenses,  penalties,  etc.      .     .     .  i}079 

8.  Received  from  all  other  sources,  except  loans  and  bond 

sales  (specify  difi'erent  sources) 25,766 

9.  Received  from  loans 

10.  Received  from  bond  sales 

11.  Total  receipts,  all  sources       $878,487 

EXPENDITURES 

12.  Paid  for  salaries  of  teachers  and  supervisors     .     .     .         $415,287 

13.  Paid  for  current  expenses  (excluding  interest,  but  in- 

cluding salaries  of  officers,  janitors,  fuel  and  lights, 
text-books,  including  drawing  and  writing  books, 
stationery  and  other  supplies  for  schools,  ordinary 
repairs  to  buildings,  and  all  other  current  expenses)  84,157 

13^.  For  Library  and  Library  Building  Expenses  .     .     .  30,49^ 

14.  Paid  for  sites i5>55o 

15.  Paid  for  additions  and  new  buildings 238,292 

16.  Paid  for  permanent  furnishings  and  furniture  .     .     .  1,466 

17.  Paid  for  permanent  equipment  for  manual  training, 

science  and  laboratories,  etc 6,476 

18.  Paid  for  reference  and  library  books 68 


TABLES   AND    FACTS   IN    CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS      III 

19.  Paid  for  all  other  permanent  improvements,  such  as 

grading,  paving,  etc.  (specify  different  expendi- 
tures). Paving,  $3,953;  grading,  $1,164;  sewers, 
$160;  condemnations,  $21;  curbing,  $716;  side- 
walks, $2,375;  trees,  $14;  total 8,405 

20.  Paid  for  interest 70>534 

21.  Paid  for  principal  of  loans 

22.  Paid  for  principal  of  bonded  debt 35,ooo 

23.  Total  paid  out,  all  purposes $905,709 

24.  Cash  on  hand  at  beginning  of  year  (net)      ....         $i33>743 

25.  Cash  on  hand  at  beginning  of  year  in  fund  for  .sites  and 

buildings  (included  in  24) 

26.  Cash  on  hand  at  beginning  of  year  and  sinking  fund 

(included  in  24) 50,488 

27.  Warrants  outstanding,  beginning  of  year      ....  9A^7 

28.  Cash  on  hand  at  end  of  year  (net) 103,619 

29.  Cash  on  hand  at  end  of  year  in  fund  for  sites  and  build- 

ings (included  in  28) 

30.  Cash  on  hand  at  end  of  year  in  sinking  fund  (included 

in  28) 67,420 

31.  Warrants  outstanding  at  end  of  year 6,516 

32.  Paid  current  expenses,  evening  schools  (included  in  12 

and  13) 

33.  Paid  current  expenses,  teachers'  training  schools  (in- 

cluded in  12  and  13)     

34.  Paid  current  expenses  schools  for  defective  or  other 

special  schools  (included  in  12  and  13.  Specify 
different  schools) 

35.  Bond  school  debt  of  city  for  school  district  or  corpora- 

tion at  end  of  year 1,705,000 

36.  Population  of  city  (or  school  district  or  corporation)   .  175,000 

37.  Persons  of  school  age,  6  to  20  years,  inclusive,  in  city 

(or  school  district  or  corporation) 61,749 

38.  Number  of  pupils  enrolled,  all  schools 28,280 

39.  Average  number  in  daily  membership,  all  schools      .  22,668 

40.  Average  number  in  daily  attendance,  all  schools   .     .  20,994 

41.  Average  number  in  daily  attendance,  night  schools  (in- 

cluded in  40)     

42.  Average  number  in  daily  attendance,  teachers'  training 

schools  (included  in  40) 

43.  Average  number  in  daily  attendance,  schools  for  defec- 


112 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


tive    or    other    special    schools    (included    in   40. 

Specify  different  schools) 

44.  Annual  cost  of  education  per  pupil  (sum  of  Nos.  12  and 
13  divided  by  40)  on  the  total  enrollment,  $18.10, 
and  on  the  average  daily  attendance,  $20.14. 


STATISTICS   FOR    I9OO-I9OI 


Males 


Females 


Totals 


Number  vk^hite  persons  in  the  district  be- 
tween 6  and  20  years  of  age  .  .  . 
Number  colored  persons  in  the  district 

between  6  and  20  years  of  age     .     . 

Total  white  and  colored  .... 

Number  white  children  who  attended 

public  school  during  the  year  .  .  . 
Number  colored  children  who  attended 

public  school  during  the  year  .     .     . 

Total  enrollment  during  the  year  . 

Increase    over    the    previous    year    in 

Kansas  City 

Total  number  days  attended  by  all 

children 

Average  number  days  attended  by  each 

child  on  the  enrollment 

Number  days  school  has  been  taught  . 
Average  number  pupils  attending  school 

each  day  

Total  number  in  school  under  16  years 

of  age 

Number  white  pupils  under  16  years  of 

age 

Number  colored  pupils  under  16  years 

of  age  

Total  number  of  pupils  in  school  over  16 

years  of  age 

Number  white  pupils  over  16  years  of 

age 

Number  colored  pupils  over  16  years  of 

age 

Total  enrollment 


28,283 

2,686 
30,969 

12,036 

1,327 
13,363 

279 


12,492 

11,267 

1,225 

871 

767 

104 


28,163 

2,617 
30,780 

13,319 

1,598 
14,917 

448 


13,400 

11,984 

1,416 

1,517 

1,335 

182 


56,446 

5,303 
61,749 

25,355 

2,925 
28,280 

727 

3,778,920 

133 
180 

20,994 

25,892 

23,251 

2,641 


286 
28,280 


TABLES  AND    FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL  REPORTS 


113 


Salaries  paid  male  teachers,  per  month $10,239 

Salaries  paid  female  teachers,  per  month 3SjIoS 

Average  salary  paid  male  teachers,  per  month    ....  126 

Average  salary  paid  female  teachers,  per  month  ....  67 

Salary  paid  30  substitutes,  $20  per  month 600 

Number  male  teachers,  white,  66;  colored,  17;  total  .     .  83 

Number  female  teachers,  white,  479;  colored,  45;  total  .  524 

Total  white  and  colored 607 

Number  substitutes,  white,  29 ;  colored,  i ;  total     ...  30 

Total  number  teachers  and  substitutes 637 

A  table  from  the  Erie  report  summarizes  certain   main 
facts  over  a  long  series  of  years: 


Table  108.    Erie 

COMPARATIVE    STATISTICS:     YEAR    ENDING    FIRST 
MONDAY  IN   JUNE 


Year 

Assessment  of 
City 

School 
Millage 

Receipts 

Expenditures 

Total 

Increase  * 
Decrease  t 

Total 

Increase  * 
Decrease  t 

1871  .... 

1872  .... 

1873  .... 

1874  .... 

$1,967,020 
15,392,857 
15,400,306 
15,748,596 

25 

4 
4 
S 

$53,540 
62,552 
64,274 
86,634 

$9,012  * 

1,721  * 

22,360  * 

$55,764 
64,232 
61,132 
76,320 

$8,468  * 

3,100 1 

15,187* 

Number  of 

Average  Sala- 

Enrollment of 

Year 

Teachers 

ries  PER  Month 

Pupils 

Population 

Male 

Female 

Male 

Female 

Male 

Female 

1871      .... 

19,646 

1872     .... 

II 

51 

$64 

$39 

1,906 

1,594 

1873      .... 

8 

62 

82 

40 

1,889 

1,663 

1874      .... 

8 

62 

82 

40 

1,889 

1,663 

Similarly  the  Grand  Rapids  report  gives  statistics  sum- 
marized for  a  series  of  years,  and  in  considerable  detail: 


114 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


Table  109.    Grand  Rapids 


GENERAL  STATISTICS 


Years 


Population  of  city  based  on  school  census     .     . 

Number  enumerated  in  school  census  (5  to  20 
years) 

Estimated  number  in  schools  not  pubhc   .     .     . 

Whole  number  of  different  pupils  enrolled     .     . 

Average  number  of  pupils  belonging     .... 

Average  daily  attendance 

Per  cent  of  whole  number  enrolled  on  number 
enumerated* 

Per  cent  of  average  number  belonging  on  number 
enumerated* 

Per  cent  of  daily  attendance  on  number  enrolled 

Per  cent  of  daily  attendance  on  number  belonging 

Number  of  teachers  (June) 

Number  of  pupils  to  a  teacher,  based  on  number 
belonging 

Cost  per  capita  for  superintendence  and  instruc- 
tion   

Cost  per  capita  for  incidentals 

Total  cost  per  capita  for  education 

Number  of  non-resident  pupils 


42,119 

12,21 
1,100 

7,925 
6,042 
5,667 

66 

5° 

71 

94 

167 

35 

13.27 

13-57 

26.84 

180 


44,329 

11,775 
1,290 
8,250 
6,323 
5,966 

67 

41 
72 

94 
182 

35 

14.02 

9-35 

2337 

138 


48,810 

14,066 
1,788 

8,539 
6,438 
6,045 

66 

50 

70 

94 
195 


15.06 
4.87 

16.93 
156 


The  St.  Louis  report,  in  brief  space,  summarizes  the  main 
facts  of  attendance  and  expenditures  for  each  individual 
school : 


*  Percentage  based  on  school  census  of  the  preceding  year. 


TABLES  AND   FACTS   IN   CITY   SCHOOL   REPORTS      115 
Table  iio.    St.  Loots 

SHOWING  ENROLLMENT  IN  THE  DAY  SCHOOLS,  AVER- 
AGE ATTENDANCE  OF  PUPILS,  AVERAGE  NUMBER 
OF  TEACHERS,  AND  COST  OF  THE  SCHOOLS  FOR 
THE  YEAR   1904-1905 


Whole 

No.  enrolled 

a 

i 

"S 

■0 

EXCLUSIVE   OF  DUPLI- 
CATE Registration 

la 
b 

'5 

a 

< 

1 
< 

0  cS 

Names  of  Schools 

Pi 

?s 

C3 

Q 

a 

V  u 

^■5 

^S3 

0  J! 

.i= 

0 

c. 
3 

fcg 

gg 

ftS 

fc  0 
>  ** 

m 

0 

h 

Q 

< 

< 

Cl, 

< 

Teachers'  College 

62 

62 

61 

60 

98 

28 

Central  High 

705 

1,326 

2,031 

16 

1,530 

1,469 

96 

21 

McKinley  High 

446 

739 

i,i8s 

7 

918 

890 

97 

23 

Yeatman  High 

297 

512 

809 

4 

603 

559 

93 

20 

Sumner  High  (colored)      .     .     . 

97 

272 

369 

299 

291 

96 

29 

Total  High  Schools    .     .     . 

1,545 

2,849 

4,394 

27 

3,350 

3,209 

96 

23 

Adams 

714 

788 

1,502 

87 

1,186 

i,ios 

93 

49 

Allen  Avenue 

102 

112 

214 

25 

185 

172 

93 

37 

Names  of  Schools 

"0 

B 
a 

(UJ3 

< 

Amount  of 

Teachers' 

Salaries 

^  Ml 

a  a 
°°. 

■"Era 

(So 

s' 

a 

IS. 

u 

cj  S3  be 

r;  >  c 

0 

Total 
Cost  of 

Teachers' 
Salaries 

and  Inci- 
dentals 

1^ 

0  S  bo 

Teachers'  College      .... 

1 

$1,948 

$31 

$1 ,948 

$31 

Central  High 

McKinley  High 

Yeatman  High 

Sumner  High  (colored)  .     .     . 

81 

44 
34 
13 

172 

$110,165 
52,914 
39,005 
13,721 

$72 
57 
64 
45 

$19,338 

22,300 

27,884 

4,444 

$12 
24 
46 
14 

$129,504 
75,215 
66,890 
18,166 

$84 
81 

110 
60 

Total  High  Schools     .     . 

$215,807 

$64 

$73,968 

$22 

$289,775 

$86 

Adams 

Allen  Avenue 

28 
6 

$19,586 
3,478 

$16 
18 

$3,607 
1,876 

$3 
10 

$23,194 
5.3SS 

$19 
28 

CHAPTER  V 

Important  Questions  not  answered  by  Existing 
Reports 

In  the  foregoing  chapter  we  have  displayed  the  forms  of 
statistical  presentation  used  in  some  of  the  best  reports. 
These  present  in  detail,  and  often  with  considerable  effective- 
ness, the  main  facts  of  educational  administration.  They 
supply  in  a  readily  intelligible  form  some  of  the  school  facts 
that  an  inquiring  man  might  seek.  But  it  will  be  noted 
that,  whilst  these  various  tables  taken  together  seem  thus 
effective  as  a  means  of  true  publicity,  it  is  also  true  that  no 
one  report  exhibits  all  of  the  good  features  illustrated.  In 
some  one  respect  the  report  from  city  A  may  be  unexcelled; 
in  others,  city  B  may  show  much  better  results.  An  ex- 
amination of  over  one  hundred  reports  of  city  schools  makes 
it  evident  that  comparatively  few  rise  to  any  considerable 
height  of  excellence  in  statistical  reporting.  Many  of  them 
give  their  tables  in  long  and  cumbrous  form  with  needless 
repetitions.  Especially  do  they  fail  in  bringing  into  jux- 
taposition the  totals,  averages,  or  other  final  statements 
that  would  render  them  effective  from  the  standpoint  of  pub- 
licity. The  systems  of  classification  used  are  often  illogical 
and  clumsy,  though  this  is  far  less  true  in  reporting  facts  of 
finance  than  of  school  work  and  children  dealt  with.  Reduc- 
tions to  some  unit  basis  are  not  frequent  enough,  and  when 
given  are  not  such  as  to  make  comparison  easy  between 
different  members  or  parts  of  the  school  system,  or  between 
different  years.  Few  successful  forms  are  used  for  the 
purpose  of  instituting  comparison  among  different  schools, 

n6 


IMPORTANT   QUESTIONS   UNANSWERED  BY  REPORTS      1 17 

except  in  matters  of  finance.  In  only  one  or  two  reports  are 
tables  given  that  suggest  a  measure  of  relationship  between 
two  different  classes  of  fact. 

It  has  been  seen  that  much  statistical  work  can  be  criti- 
cised on  the  ground  that  it  is  not  effective,  that  it  does  not 
convey  information  useful  either  in  direct  administration 
or  in  the  indirect  administrative  field  of  publicity.  It  is 
also  true  that  much  of  the  making  of  records  and  reports 
which  prevails  to-day  is  not  economical,  in  that  it  consumes 
a  disproportionate  amount  of  time  and  energy,  not  merely 
with  reference  to  the  uses  to  which  the  product  is  finally 
put,  but  also  with  reference  to  what  would  be  the  require- 
ments of  such  recording  and  collecting  of  data  under  more 
effective  systems. 

In  compiling  school  statistics  the  following  elements  are 
vital : 

a.  Such  classification  of  original  records,  entries,  etc., 
as  will  give  them  a  maximum  uniformity  of  value  (despite 
the  personality  of  the  recording  officers)  and  facilitate  sig- 
nificant summarization.  For  example,  tables  of  age,  scholar- 
ship, truancy,  etc.,  often  present  confusing  diversity  in  this 
regard.  In  matters  of  finance  and  day  school  attendance, 
the  items  are  usually  better  classified,  and  the  character  of 
the  original  data  is  somewhat  more  certain. 

h.  Reduction  of  data  (for  different  rooms,  grades,  schools, 
or  years,  etc.)  to  a  common  denominator,  for  purposes  of 
comparison.  This  is  accomplished  by  the  devices  of  per 
capita  statements,  per  cents,  and  by  graphical  representations. 

c.  Bringing  into  juxtaposition,  as  far  as  possible,  all  the 
totals  or  unit  statements  that  will  tend  to  group  the  largest 
possible  amount  of  information  around  some  of  the  large 
facts  of  administration.  For  example,  the  facts  of  enroll- 
ment, average  attendance,  number  of  census  children, 
number  of  sittings,  number  of  vacant  sittings  by  grades, 
number  of  truancies,  etc.,  are  all  related,  but  are  seldom 


Il8  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

shown  together.  Or,  in  regard  to  teachers,  items  that  are 
frequently  scattered  might  be  so  placed  as  to  admit  of  ready 
comparison, — facts  of  number,  grade  of  certificate,  years  of 
experience,  training,  salaries,  etc. 

d.  Such  interpretation  of  statistics  (by  means  of  totals, 
averages,  per  capita  statements,  double  classification  tables, 
diagrams,  etc.,  as  well  as  explanatory  interpretation)  as 
will  aid  the  busy  but  interested  citizen  to  deduce  the  con- 
clusions and  facts  of  administrative  significance  that  are 
involved.  Statistics  so  arranged  that  these  conclusions 
constantly  point  back  to  the  statistical  presentations  from 
which  they  are  derived,  constitute  a  satisfactory  basis  for 
true  publicity  as  well  as  for  administrative  action. 

If  we  assume  that  school  statistics,  in  the  interests  of 
efficiency,  should  give  fairly  definite  answers  to  questions 
arising  in  administrative  practice  or  from  need  of  publicity, 
and  if  we  assume  that  such  questions  might  and  should 
legitimately  take  the  following  form,  we  find  that  some 
questions  are  already  answered  in  most  reports,  that  others 
are  occasionally  answered,  and  that  others  are  never  an- 
swered. The  reader  may  profitably  compare  the  tables 
given  in  the  foregoing  chapter  with  the  significant  questions 
in  his  own  mind.  The  list  of  questions  here  given  is  by 
no  means  exhaustive,  but  serves  to  illustrate  and  summarize 
present  practice. 

QUESTIONS  AS  TO  PLANT 

Generally  Answered 

What  school  buildings  are  owned  by  the  city? 
What  land,  leased  or  used  otherwise  than  for  school  purposes,  is 
owned  by  the  city  for  the  benefit  of  its  educational  system? 
*W^hat  is  the  kind  of  heating  and  ventilating  apparatus  employed? 
Seldom  Answered 

*What  is  the  condition  of  the  buildings? 

*  Questions  not  answered  in  the  Report  for  the  Schools  of  New  York 
City  for  the  school  year  ending  July  31,  1906.     See  Chapter  VII. 


IMPORTANT  QUESTIONS  UNANSWERED  BY  REPORTS      1 19 

*What  is  their  estimated  value? 
What  is  the  number  of  rooms  or  sittings  provided? 
What  provision  is  under  way  for  congested  districts? 
Which  buildings  are  without  l<indergartens? 
Which  are  without  kitchens  and  workshops  for  older  pupils? 
Never  Answered 

*What  is  the  relation  of  the  accommodations  provided  by  the  build- 
ings of  various  districts  to  the  number  of  children  of  school  age 
in  the  district,  or  to  the  number  of  children  applying  for  ad- 
mission ? 

*How  do  the  sittings  provided  compare,  per  district,  per  school,  or 
per  grade,  in  point  of  number  with  the  children  of  various  ages 
who  are  expected  to  use  them? 

*What  is  the  number  of  vacant  sittings,  and  to  what  ages  of  children 
do  they  correspond? 

*What  is  the  estimated  value  or  original  cost  of  buildings  per  unit 
(or  per  sitting,  or  per  cubic  foot)? 

*In  buildings  of  special  type,  —  such  as  manual  training,  high  schools, 
science  laboratories  in  ordinary  buildings,  manual  training 
rooms,  gymnasiums,  etc.,  —  what  has  been  the  cost  of  equip- 
ment per  unit  —  sitting,  etc.  ? 

*What  buildings  have  become  unsanitary  or  otherwise  unsuitable  for 
school  purposes? 

*What  buildings  are  without  the  newer  appliances,  such  as  adjustable 
desks,  automatic  ventilation,  economical  furnaces? 

*Which  are  without  shower  baths,  roof  gardens,  assembly  roomS) 
gymnasiums,  physician's  room? 

QUESTIONS  AS  TO  RECEIPTS  AND  EXPENDITURES 

Occasionally  Answered 

What  has  been  the  annual  cost  for  a  series  of  years  of  the  school 

system  as  a  whole? 
What  has  been  the  total  amount  expended  for  such  items  as  salaries, 

administration,  fuel,  building,  repairs? 
What  has  been  the  per  capita  expenditure,  expressed  in  terms  of 
average  enrollment,  or  average  daily  attendance? 
Seldom  Answered 

*What  do  the  different  classes    of    educational    institution  —  ele- 
mentary schools,  high  schools,  evening  schools,  etc.  —  cost  ? 
*What  has  been  the  cost  of  the  system  over  a  series  of  years,  by 
division  of  items? 


I20  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

*What  is  the  cost  of  the  system  by  individual  schools? 

*How  does  the  per  capita  cost  compare  over  a  series  of  years? 

*What  is  the  relative  per  capita  cost  of  different  classes  of   school, 

as  high,  elementary,  evening? 
*As  among  different  schools,  what  is  the  relative  per  cent  of  cost  of 

salaries,  fuel,  supplies,  etc.? 
Never  Answered 

*How  does  the  amount  expended  on  individual  schools  compare  over 

a  series  of  years,  totals  or  per  capita  ? 
*By  individual  schools,  what  is  the  annual  cost  of  fuel,  supplies,  etc., 

each  reduced  to  some  unit  as  per  capita  of  attendance,  sitting, 

class? 
*What  is  the  cost  of  medical  inspection,  and  what  for  each  unit  of 

work? 
*What  is  the  cost  of  evening  school  per  unit  of  attendance  or  per 

child  attending  twenty  nights  (the  average  nightly  attendance 

being  a  most  uncertain  unit  for  this  purpose)  ? 
*What  is  the  cost  of  high  school  or  elementary  education,  or  of  its 

special  factors? 
*What  is  the  cost  of  special  subjects  per  pupil  benefited? 
*How  does  district  compare  with  district? 
*What  part  of  last  year's  disbursements  was  for  the  preceding  year 

or  the  year  to  come? 
♦What  goods  or  service  were  used  last  year  and  not  paid  for  and  not 

counted  in  cost? 

QUESTIONS  AS  TO   CHILDREN  TO  BE  EDUCATED 

Occasionally  Answered 

*How  many  children  does  the  school  census  show  ?     (Answered  for 
ages  5  to  21  or  other  ages,  which  frequently  bear  little  rela- 
tion to  the  ages  at  which  children  regularly  attend  school. ) 
*What  is  the  relative  number  of  children  of  school  age  of  each  sex? 
Seldom  Answered 

*What  are  the  numbers  of  children  of  each  year  of  age  in  the  city? 
*What  is  the  number  of  children  by  ages,  or  within  the  ages  of  com- 
pulsory attendance,  in  each  district? 
*By  districts,  how  does  the  number  of  children  of  compulsory  school 
age  compare  with  the  number  in  attendance  on  the  public 
schools? 
*0f  the  children  not  in  attendance  on  the  public  schools,  how  many 


IMPORTANT   QUESTIONS   UNANSWERED   BY  REPORTS      121 

are  at  private  schools,  in  public  or  private  institutions,  hos- 
pitals, or  otherwise  satisfactorily  accounted  for? 
Never  Answered 

*Where  was  child  born? 

*0f  the  children  recorded  as  attending  school,  how  many  are  making 
only  a  nominal  attendance? 

*0f  those  not  attending,  or  attending  only  a  short  time,  how  many 
are  physically  incapacitated,  and  how? 

*What  is  the  character  of  the  parochial  school  attendance? 

*0f  children  at  work  and  subject  to  census  enumeration,  what  is  the 
character  of  the  employment?  Are  they  working  in  factory, 
store,  ofi&ce,  home?  In  what  number  of  cases  is  the  working 
illegal  ? 

*How  do  seats  provided  and  attendance  compare  with  census  of 
children  of  4-5  (kindergarten  age),  6-7  (permitted  to  attend), 
8-13  (compelled  to  attend),  14-15  (permitted  to  work  if  satis- 
factory evidence  of  education  is  given)  ? 

QUESTIONS  AS  TO   CHILDREN   ENROLLED   AND 
ATTENDING 

Occasionally  Answered 

What  is  the  total  enrollment?  the  average  enrollment?  the  average 

daily  attendance? 
What  is  the  percentage  of  average  daily  attendance  on  average 
enrollment?  (It  may  be  pointed  out  that  the  items  "total 
enrollment"  and  "average  daily  attendance"  are  usually  com- 
puted in  the  same  way;  while  there  is  a  lack  of  uniformity  in 
the  method  of  computing  the  quantity  "average  enrollment." 
Some  schools  drop  a  child  if  absent  three  days,  others  carry  on 
the  roll  for  two  weeks  or  more.) 
Seldom  Answered 

What  is  the  attendance,  etc.,  by  individual  schools? 
*What  is  the  amount  of  persistent  attendance,  i.e.  the  number  of 
children  who  make  attendances  of  180  or  more  days  out  of  a 
possible  200,  160  days  out  of  200,  etc.? 
*What  has  been  the  character  of  the  absence  of  children,  i.e.  of  those 
who  have  been  absent  a  given  time,  how  much  of  the  absence 
has  been  for  short  periods  at  frequent  intervals,  and  how  much 
for  a  few  long  periods? 
*Is  attendance  by  grades  or  by  ages  regular  and  persistent  ? 


122  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

*What  is  the  character  of  attendance  in  the  case  of  part-time  pupils? 
*What  is  the  distributed  attendance  in  evening  schools,  i.e.  how  many 

attended  20  nights,  30,  40,  etc.  ?  What  was  the  attendance  per 

teacher?  per  subject? 
Never  Answered 

*What  is  the  relation  of  attendance  to  health  conditions? 
*What  is  the  relation  of  attendance  to  scholarship? 
*What  is  the  effect  of  adopting  measures  to  improve  attendance? 
*What  is  the  connection  between  attendance  and  overcrowding  ?  what 

is  the  part-time  attendance? 
*What  are  the  causes  of  non-attendance?  of  dropping  out? 
*What  proportion  of  children  who  should  have  finished  the  elementary 

and  grammar  grades  fail  to  finish  ? 

QUESTIONS  AS  TO  DESCRIPTION  OF  CHILDREN 
ATTENDING 

Occasionally  Answered 

*What  is  the  relative  number  of  each  sex  enrolled  ? 
What  is  the  relative  number  of  each  sex  on  average  register?  in 

average  attendance? 
How  many  children  are  in  each  grade  of  the  schools? 
How  many  children  by  given  years  of  age? 
*In  high  schools,  evening  schools,  etc.,  what  is  the  number  of  children 
in  each  of  the  various  subjects? 
Seldom  Answered 

What  is  the  relation  between  age  and  grade  of  the  pupils  enrolled? 

If  we  assume  a  certain  normal  age  for  each  grade,  what  number 

and  what  percentage  of  children  in  each  case  are  ahead  or 

behind  this  normal  age,  or,  as  sometimes  stated,  how  many 

over-age  and  under-age  children  are  there? 

*What  number  of  children  drop  out  of  the  various  grades  each  year, 

or  during  the  vacation  periods? 
*0f  those  who  drop  out,  what  number  go  to  other  schools?    What 
number  go  to  work?    What  number  of  withdrawals  are  un- 
explained? 
*0f  those  who  drop  out,  what  are  the  typical  scholarship  records? 
*What  is  the  relation  between  non-promotion  and  withdrawal  from 

school ? 
*What  is  the  relation  between  over-age  and  dropping  out? 
*Is  a  connection  shown  between  irregular  attendance  and  final 
withdrawal? 


IMPORTANT  QUESTIONS  UNANSWERED  BY  REPORTS      123 

QUESTIONS  AS  TO  SCHOOL  WORK 

Occasionally  Answered 

Of  children  attending,  what  number  are  promoted,  and  in  what 
grades  ? 

*What  number  in  each  grade  (or  school)  are  not  promoted? 
What  is  the  number  of  graduates  from  the  eighth  grade?    What 
relation  does  this  bear  to  the  number  in  the  grade?  *to  the 
number  who  were  on  the  seventh  grade  last  year?  *in  the  sixth 
the  year  before? 
Seldom  Answered 

What  is  the  number  of  promotions,  or  proportion  of  promotions,  to 
the  number  that  should  have  been  eligible  to  promotion  had 
scholarship,  attendance,  etc.,  been  satisfactory? 

*What  are  the  characteristic  facts  regarding  the  cases  of  non-pro- 
motion, i.e.  how  do  they  classify  under  such  heads  as  failure 
owing  to  illness,  irregular  attendance,  lack  of  abiUty,  etc.  ? 

*Over  a  series  of  years,  how  many  are  the  cases  of  pupils  who  have 
failed  of  promotion  two  successive  years,  or  have  failed  of 
promotion  more  than  once,  and  what,  again,  are  the  character- 
istics of  these  cases  ?  (It  will  be  observed  that  the  satisfactory 
control  of  the  organization  and  administration  of  special  or 
ungraded  classes  will  depend  on  this  information.) 

*How  do  schools  that  employ  flexible  grading  compare  with  those 
which  promote  yearly  or  half-yearly  in  percentage  of  promo- 
tions and  in  percentage  of  survival? 

*Do  high  schools  that  promote  by  grade  show  a  higher  "mortality," 
i.e  a  higher  percentage  of  "dropping  out"  than  high  schools 
that  promote  by  subject? 

*What  evidence  is  there  that  school  training  has  prepared  children 
for  industrial  efficiency? 

QUESTIONS    AS    TO    COMPULSORY    ATTENDANCE    AND 

TRUANCY 

Occasionally  Answered 

How  many  truant  officers  are  there? 

What  number  of  attendance  cases  have  been  investigated? 

What  has  been  the  number  of  cases  of  truancy,  and  what  has  been 

the  work  of  the  department  with  them  ? 
*What  is  the  total  cost  of  administering  the  compulsory  attendance 

department :  by  divisions  of  expense,  officers,  supervision,  etc.  ? 


124  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

Seldom  Answered 

*What  is  the  actual  number  of  children  who  should  have  been  in 
school  who  have  not  attended? 

*What  number  have  attended  so  short  a  time  as  to  fail  of  educational 
profit  ? 

*0f  those  who  have  not  attended,  or  have  attended  so  short  a  time 
as  to  derive  no  profit,  how  many  have  been  illegally  employed? 
How  many  have  been  truant?  How  many  have  been  phys- 
ically incapacitated  for  attendance? 

*0f  the  truants,  what  were  the  classes  as  regards  physical  condition, 
economic  condition,  scholarship  condition,  ages,  grades,  etc.? 

*What  results  has  the  truancy  department  accompUshed  toward  the 
cure  of  truancy? 

*Where  special  truant  schools  exist,  what  quantitative  contribution 
do  they  make  to  the  education  of  the  groups  with  which  they 
deal? 

*What  is  the  cost  of  the  department  of  compulsory  education  in 
terms  of  some  unit  of  results,  such  as  children  permanently 
restored  to  school,  etc.? 

*How  many  truant  officers  are  needed  to  attend  promptly  to  non- 
attendants? 

*What  is  done  with  children  who  move  out  of  the  school  district?  Is 
a  tracer  or  a  notice  sent  to  the  school  officers  of  the  new  district 
to  which  the  child  was  moved? 
What  efforts  have  been  made  to  compel  parents  to  enforce  attend- 
ance by  their  children? 

QUESTIONS  AS  TO   SPECIAL  CLASSES 

Usually  Answered  (if  special  classes  exist) 
How  many  children  are  specially  treated? 
*What  is  the  number  (of  each  description)  of  special  classes? 
What  kind  of  pupils  are  treated  in  special  classes,  as  regards  scholar- 
ship, *behavior,  physical  condition,  etc.  ? 
What  is  the  age  and  *grade  of  those  dealt  with  in  special  classes? 
*What  is  the  character  of  attendance  and  application  ? 
*What  are  the  facts  regarding  the  size  of  classes,  number  who  are 

not  admitted  for  lack  of  room,  etc.? 
*What  is  the  duration  of  attendance  on  special  classes? 
*What  is  the  effect  of  the  attendance  on  special  classes  in  terms  of 
subsequent  attendance,  scholarship,  grading,  behavior,  etc.  ? 


IMPORTANT  QUESTIONS  UNANSWERED  BY  REPORTS      125 

*What  is  the  total  cost  of  special  class  work:  per  class,  per  child 
benefited  ? 

*What  are  the  educational  qualifications  of  the  teachers  carrying  on 
special  class  work? 

*What  is  the  effect  upon  attendance  and  progress  of  normal  children 
when  the  "special  problem"  child  is  segregated? 

♦Does  the  special  class  save  expense  in  treating  the  normal  child  as 
well  as  in  treating  the  special  child? 

*What  lessons  applicable  to  regular  classes  are  learned  from  indi- 
vidualization necessary  in  special  classes? 

*Do  special  classes  appreciably  reduce  commitments  for  truancy  and 
for  juvenile  delinquency? 

QUESTIONS  AS  TO  EVENING  SCHOOLS 

Occasionally  Answered 

How  many  evening  schools,  and  what  their  enrollment  and  average 

attendance? 
*What  is  the  cost  of  evening  school  work,  in  totals  and  per  capita  of 

average  attendance? 
Seldom  Answered 

*What  is  the  attendance,  distributed  into  groups  so  that  one  may 

learn  how  many  of  the  students  have  from  90  to  100  evenings 

attendance  out  of  a  possible  100? 
*What  is  the  distributed  age  and  scholarship  record  of  those  attend- 
ing, per  subject? 
*What  is  the  cost  of  evening  school  education  in  terms  of  actual 

attendance  and  work  done,  or  in  terms  of  each  evening  of 

attendance? 
What  are  the  salaries  and  *qualifications  of  teachers? 
*How  many  teach  in  both  day  and  night  school?  Are  they  as  efl&cient 

as  those  who  teach  only  one  session? 
*How  many  pupils  attend  two  or  more  seasons?    How  many  earn 

certificates  ? 
*Do  boys  of  14  and  15  who  work  by  day  profit  enough  from  night 

school  to  justify  the  extra  drain  upon  their  physical  strength? 

Are  truancy,  irregular  attendance,  and  early  falling  out  higher 

in  this  class  than  among  older  and  stronger  pupils  ? 
*What  are  the  effects  upon  the  eyes  of  night  study  in  badly  lighted 

rooms? 


126  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

QUESTIONS  AS  TO  VACATION  SCHOOLS  AND 
PLAYGROUNDS 

Occasionally  Answered 

What  has  been  the  total  enrollment? 
What  has  been  the  length  of  session? 

*What  is  the  total  cost  of  vacation  school  and  playground?  What  the 
per  capita  cost  based  on  average  attendance? 
Never  Answered 

*What  is  the  character  of  the  attendance,  distributed  as  to  duration 

or  persistency,  classes  of  children,  kinds  of  work  taken,  etc.  ? 
*What  are  the  results  of  such  attendance? 
*How  many  more  vacation  schools  are  needed? 
*What  would  it  cost  to  give  all  children  in  the  city  the  privileges  now 
confined  to  a  few? 

QUESTIONS  AS  TO  MEDICAL  INSPECTION 

Occasionally  Answered 

*How  many  medical  inspectors  and  nurses  were  employed  ? 
How  many  inspections  were  made? 

How  many  exclusions  were  made  on  account  of  communicable 
diseases? 
Seldom  Answered 

*What  is  the  cost  of  medical  inspection,  expressed  either  in  totals 

or  in  terms  of  units  of  work  done,  etc.  ? 
*What  is  the  number  and  distribution  of  the  force  connected  with 

medical  inspection? 
*In  case  of  inspection  and  nursing  connected  with  chronic  defects, 
what  is  the  cost  per  unit  of  work  done  (which,  of  course,  might 
be  in  terms  of  each  child  treated,  or  in  terms  of  class  or  room 
or  IOC  children  from  which  treated  cases  are  taken)  ? 
How  many  visits  were  made  by  physicians  or  nurses  at  the  homes  of 
school  children? 
Never  Answered 

*What  proportion  of  children  need  medical  care? 

*What  proportion  of  children  backward  in  studies  or  over-age  owe 

this  condition  to  physical  defect? 
*How  many  homes  were  visited? 

*How  many  schools  and  how  many  children  have  only  the  cursory 
inspection  to  detect  communicable  disease,  without  the  thorough 


IMPORTANT  QUESTIONS  UNANSWERED  BY  REPORTS      1 27 

medical  examination  for  adenoids,  enlarged  tonsils,  defective 
eyesight,  and  hearing? 

*What  "follow  up"  methods  are  employed  to  see  that  physical  de- 
fects are  corrected?     What  are  the  results? 

*What  effort  is  made  to  teach  mothers  to  care  for  children's  heads 
and  bodies  so  as  to  prevent  head  lice,  itch,  etc.  ? 

*What  is  the  effect  upon  school  progress  of  removing  physical  de- 
fects ? 

*How  many  physicians  and  how  many  nurses  are  needed  to  do 
thoroughly  for  all  children  in  all  schools  what  is  being  done  for 
a  few  children  in  a  few  schools?  How  much  would  their  work 
cost?     How  much  would  they  save? 

*What  is  the  effect  of  inspection,  examination,  and  home  visiting 
upon  prevalence  of  communicable  disease? 

*Do  family  physicians  and  dispensaries  cooperate? 

*What  evidence  is  there  that  teachers  appreciate  that  prompt  atten- 
tion to  children's  physical  defects  will  decrease  waste  of  pupils' 
and  teachers'  time  and  of  taxpayers'  money? 

*How  does  the  work  done  by  school  nurses  and  physicians  responsible 
to  the  health  authorities  compare  in  quantity  and  quality  with 
work  done  elsewhere  or  in  former  years  by  school  nurses  and 
physicians  responsible  to  the  school  authorities? 


CHAPTER  VI 

Suggested  Economies  and   Improvements  for  School 

Reports 

The  foregoing  list  of  topics  upon  which  information 
might  be  presented  in  school  reports  by  statistical  and  other 
means  represents  information  that  school  boards  should 
possess  currently  and  publish  periodically  rather  than  in- 
formation that  should  be  included  in  each  yearly  report. 
For  reasons  of  economy  it  might  be  impracticable  and  un- 
desirable to  take  them  all  up  at  any  one  time,  or  even,  in 
some  places,  at  all.  There  are  certain  principles  of  economy 
that  may  well  be  observed  in  preparing  reports,  some  of 
which  are  suggested  by  a  study  of  existing  reports. 

The  first  principle  to  be  observed  is  that  only  such  data 
shall  be  collected  and  such  reports  prepared  as  will  tend 
to  answer,  either  now  or  in  the  future,  questions  bearing 
on  educational  efficiency,  and  serve  the  purposes  of  school 
administration,  either  directly  or  through  the  indirect  means 
of  publicity.  Wherever  considerable  labor  is  required  to 
assemble  or  interpret  statistics,  it  is  wise  to  keep  this  cri- 
terion in  mind.  For  example,  in  some  systems  it  is  customary 
to  preserve  and  tabulate  information  regarding  occupations 
and  nationalities  of  parents  of  children  in  the  schools.  In 
the  case  of  special  schools,  —  as,  e.g.,  high  schools,  vacation 
schools,  evening  schools,  and  the  like,  —  it  is  probable  that 
this  information  would,  if  properly  interpreted,  have  a 
distinct  bearing  on  administrative  efficiency;  but  in  the 
ordinary  elementary  school,  supposedly  working  under  com- 
pulsory education  laws,  detailed  information  regarding  nation- 
ality and  occupations  of  parents  can  hardly  serve  any  useful 
purpose.     Furthermore,  in  the  case  of  those  types  of  edu- 

128 


SUGGESTED   ECONOMIES   AND   IMPROVEMENTS      129 

cation  for  which  it  seems  desirable  to  collect  the  above  species 
of  information,  one  may  doubt  if  any  valuable  purpose  is 
served  by  collecting  and  publishing  it  yearly.  An  exhibition 
at  intervals  of  three  or  five  years,  at  least  as  far  as  publica- 
tion is  concerned,  will  serve  every  necessary  purpose. 

Again,  it  is  evident  that  in  a  small  system  the  annual 
publication  of  itemized  expenditures  may  serve  a  useful 
purpose;  such  publication  in  a  large  city  would  in  no  way 
minister  to  actual  publicity.  Of  course  the  system  of  book- 
keeping for  the  city  will  preserve  these  items  in  their  detailed 
form,  but  owing  to  the  complexity  of  the  situation  presented, 
their  publication,  except  in  significant  summaries,  will  hardly 
tend  to  true  publicity. 

In  general  it  may  be  said  that  there  is  needed  in  each  city 
system  a  careful  study  of  the  conditions  under  which  edu- 
cational data  should  be  collected  and  published.  That 
which  is  desirable  for  the  large  city  may  be  quite  unnecessary 
in  the  small  city;  and  that  which  is  practicable  to  present 
in  an  extended  form  in  the  small  city  must  be  very  much 
digested  and  interpreted  in  the  large.  The  standards  of 
selection  must  be  determined:  first,  by  the  administrative 
problems  upon  which  the  collecting  and  arranging  of  facts 
will  tend  to  shed  light  and  by  the  degree  of  publicity  which 
it  is  the  right  of  the  intelligent  citizen  to  demand  in  a  system 
of  public  administration;  and,  second,  by  the  limits  of 
energy  and  means  available  among  teachers  and  others 
responsible  for  such  collecting  and  interpreting  of  statistics. 
If  the  United  States  commissioner  would  institute  such  a  sci- 
entific study  of  the  reporting  required  by  the  school  interests 
of  large  and  small  cities,  the  results  would  be  prompt  and  vast. 

The  second  principle  of  economy  depends  upon  the 
conditions  under  which  the  primary  data  of  statistics  are 
collected.  By  primary  data  is  here  meant  facts  collected 
and  assembled  by  those  workers  in  immediate  contact  with 
the   facts  which  enter   into   statistical   presentations.     The 


130  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

primary  data  for  financial  statistics  originate  with  those 
who  handle  bills,  receive  vouchers,  and  make  original  entries. 
In  the  count  of  children  the  original  data  are  supplied  by 
the  census  taker.  The  teacher  is  the  source  of  original 
data  regarding  facts  of  attendance,  grade,  age,  scholarship, 
deportment,  and  final  disposition  of  the  children  who  attend 
school.  The  attendance  officer  provides  original  data  re- 
garding the  special  facts  in  connection  with  the  limited 
number  of  children  who  come  under  his  attention.  Simi- 
larly, the  school  physician  or  other  medical  inspector  pro- 
vides original  data  regarding  health.  The  principal  of  the 
school  provides  primary  data  as  to  attendance  of  teachers, 
suspension  of  pupils,  and  many  other  facts,  while  some 
primary  data  regarding  teachers  —  grade  of  certificate,  sal- 
ary, age,  place  of  education,  teaching  abihty,  etc.  —  originate 
in  the  superintendent's  office. 

Recent  business  progress  in  America  has  clearly  demon- 
strated that  there  may  be  a  scientific  treatment  of  the  con- 
ditions under  which  primary  data  are  obtained,  with  a  view 
to  economy  as  well  as  to  efficiency.  Many  of  the  registers 
and  other  blanks  on  which  teachers  now  make  primary 
records  are  cumbersome  and  wasteful  of  time.  An  example 
is  found  in  the  daily  register  which  may  be  made  to  contain 
all  records  of  the  pupil  except  those  of  scholarship.  As 
frequently  provided,  it  requires  that  the  names  of  all  pupils 
shall  be  written  anew  each  month.  But  there  are  forms 
available  in  which  it  is  necessary  to  write  the  names  of  pupils 
but  once  in  the  term  or  year,  and  by  a  system  of  indented 
leaves  all  records  are  made  automatically  to  stand  opposite 
the  name  and  other  facts  which  thus  are  entered  but  once. 

In  such  a  register,  having  all  entries  of  attendance  on 
one  line,  summarization  of  attendance,  etc.  —  not  merely 
by  months,  but  by  the  year  as  well  —  is  obviously  a  simple 
process.  Suppose  that  for  administrative  reasons  it  is 
desirable  to  present  a  record  of  attendance,  not  in  terms  of 


SUGGESTED  ECONOMIES  AND   IMPROVEMENTS      131 

the  average  of  daily  attendance,  but  in  such  a  way  that  the 
citizen  or  others  concerned  can  learn  what  proportion  of 
the  children  are  making  attendances  of  a  given  number  of 
days  in  the  year.  If  the  teacher  be  furnished  a  blank  like 
the  following,  it  will  be  a  matter  of  but  a  few  minutes'  counting 
to  obtain  the  necessary  information  from  the  register,  and 
it  will  take  the  principal  or  superintendent's  office  a  very 
short  time  to  add  these  preliminary  totals  and  so  arrive  at 
a  distributed  table  of  school  attendance,  a  fact  that  is  far 
more  significant  in  day  schools  as  well  as  evening  schools 
and  vacation  schools  than  the  mere  average  of  attendance. 

Table  hi 

SHOWING  NUMBER   OF   PUPILS  MAKING  GIVEN 
NUMBERS   OF   DAYS'   ATTENDANCE 


>, 

s% 

CU 

td 

rt" 

CS 

t3 

0 

Q 

P 

Q 

Q 

0 

Q 

M 

o» 

o> 

o> 

o> 

o> 

M 

0^ 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

^ 

•fl- 

0 

00 

tH 

B 

3 

B 

B 

a 

a 

a 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

u 

u 

1-1 

fe 

£ 

£ 

b 

b 

b 

£ 

First  Grade   .     .     . 

Second  Grade     .     . 

Similarly,  if  it  seems  desirable  to  make  an  exhibit  of 
school  attendance  by  the  months  of  the  year,  —  in  order 
to  demonstrate  conditions  of  falling  out,  going  to  work, 
increase  of  population  during  certain  months,  or  other  facts, 
—  such  a  table  can  almost  instantly  be  compiled  from  the 
right  type  of  register. 

The  advantage  of  having  a  card  record  so  arranged  that 
annual  records  of  significant  facts  can  be  compiled  from 
the  register,  and  preserved  for  the  individual  pupil  for 
several  years,  will  be  discussed  later.  At  present  it  is  so 
seldom  employed  that  it  is  practically  impossible  for  any 


132 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


city  to  provide  statistical  records  of  individual  groups  of 
pupils  extending  over  a  series  of  years.  If  such  cards  were 
employed,  it  v^ould  then  be  possible  for  the  teacher  to  provide 
much  of  the  following  information  more  conveniently  than 
from  the  register,  though  in  a  properly  arranged  register 
this  can  be  done  with  a  moderate  outlay  of  time  and  energy. 
The  following  are  some  of  the  types  of  information  that  can 
be  easily  provided:  age  groups,  by  a  given  grade;  scholar- 
ship groups;  character  of  school  absenteeism  by  groups 
and  by  alleged  causes,  etc.  More  important  is  it  to  observe 
that  the  teacher,  with  the  original  data  easily  at  hand,  can, 
on  convenient  blanks,  check  off  in  a  few  minutes  the  sched- 
ules of  related  facts  which  may  be  presented  in  tables  of 
double  classification  or  double  distribution.  Few  cities,  for 
example,  present  the  double  distribution  tables  of  age  and 
grade  which  show  progressively  how  the  children  in  a  given 
city  stand  with  reference  to  these  two  sets  of  facts.  In  order 
to  obtain  such  a  table  it  is  obvious  that  the  teacher  or  other 
person  having  primary  individual  records  must  check  these 
off  individually  in  a  blank  like  the  following,  the  combined 
records  of  each  pupil  determining  the  square  in  which  the 
count  must  be  made: 


Table  112 

SHOWING  DISTRIBUTION   OF   PUPILS  IN   EACH   GRADE 
BY  AGES,  RECORDS  OF  AGES  BEING  MADE  (insert  date) 


First  Grade 

Second  Grade 

Totals 

Males 

Females 

Males 

Females 

Males 

Females 

From  s  years  6  months  to 
6  years  6  months 

-r-rti.  I 

II 

Etc. 

Sub-totals     .... 

6 

2 

From  6  years  6  months  to 
7  years  6  months 

III 

TTii.  I 

Sub-totals     .... 

3 

6 

• 

Totals 

SUGGESTED   ECONOMIES  AND   IMPROVEMENTS      133 

These  double-distribution  or  double-classification  tables, 
—  especially  when  the  totals  are  reduced  to  a  common 
denominator  by  percentages  or  otherwise  (which  need  not 
be  done  by  the  person  having  control  of  primary  records),  — 
are  of  great  value  in  disclosing  facts  of  proportion  and 
relationship  that  cannot  be  suggested  otherwise.  In  the 
same  way  relationships  can  be  exhibited  between  such  sets 
of  facts  as:  attendance  and  scholarship,  scholarship  and 
over-age  (number  of  years  pupil  is  above  normal  or  median 
age  for  his  grade),  non-promotion  and  attendance,  attendance 
and  nationality  or  occupation  of  parents,  etc.,  and  (if  we 
had  better  classification)  the  relationships  between  health 
groups  and  attendance  groups,  between  health  and  scholar- 
ship, between  health  and  moral  character,  scholarship  and 
moral  character,  etc. 

With  satisfactory  original  records  the  possibilities  of 
discovering  many  important  facts  is  great  in  these  directions. 
A  few  further  examples  will  illustrate  this.  Many  reports 
of  evening  schools,  for  example,  give  distributed  tables  of 
attendance,  since  it  is  quite  generally  recognized  that  the 
average  as  a  statement  of  attendance  here  is  quite  worthless. 
Also  many  give  distributed  tables  of  the  ages  of  those  at- 
tending, since  it  is  matter  not  merely  of  interest,  but  of 
administrative  control  to  know  the  age  character  of  evening 
school  attendance.  But  only  in  the  rarest  instances  are 
these  two  sets  of  facts  given  in  the  form  of  double-distribu- 
tion tables  which  would  tend  to  show  far  more  than  the 
two  tables  presented  separately.  Yet  with  satisfactory 
original  entries  and  the  provision  of  a  blank  like  the  follow- 
ing, it  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  present  the  entire  range 
of  facts. 


134  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

Table  113 

SHOWING  RELATED  DISTRIBUTIONS  OF  AGES  OF  STU- 
DENTS AND  ATTENDANCES  MADE  IN  THE  EVENING 
HIGH  SCHOOL 


Age  of  Students 

Attendance  of 

from  I  to  20 

Evenings 

Attendance  of 

from  21  to  40 

Evenings 

Attendance  of 

from  41  to  60 

Evenings 

Totals 

From  14  years  6  months  to 
i6  years  6  months 

mi 

rs-ii  I 

Etc. 

Sub-totals     .... 

4 

6 

From  i6  years  6  months  to 
1 8  years  5  months 

II 

T*tt 

Etc. 

Sub-totals     .... 

2 

10 

Etc. 

Totals 

From  such  a  table  (and  only  from  such  a  source)  can  we 
discover  the  relation  between  the  age  of  evening  school 
students  and  their  persistency  of  attendance,  relation  which 
is  surely  most  important  in  determining  the  kind  of  courses 
and  other  facilities  which  should  be  provided. 

There  are  minor  facts  which,  by  being  made  matters  of 
primary  record  in  the  register,  might  ultimately  tend  to 
show  facts  of  importance  in  administration.  An  instance 
of  this  is  found  in  the  relation  between  persistency  of  attend- 
ance and  the  distance  at  which  the  child  lives  from  school. 
If,  in  one  column  of  the  register,  this  distance  were  recorded 
at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  at  the  close  it  would  be  practic- 
able, in  a  few  minutes,  to  transfer  the  appropriate  facts  to 
a  blank  containing  a  horizontal  distribution  of  groups  of 
days  attended  and  a  vertical  distribution  of  distances  at 
which  children  came  to  school;  thus  the  facts  recorded 
could  be  interpreted  at  leisure.  Other  instances  of  possible 
double  classification  will  be  discussed  later. 

The  third  principle  of  economy  relates  to  the  publication 
of  statistical  tables  in  school  reports.     It  has  become  custom- 


SUGGESTED    ECONOMIES   AND    IMPROVEMENTS      135 

ary  to  issue  reports  each  year,  and  to  have  each  number 
contain  full  statistical  presentations  along  all  lines.  But 
for  purposes  of  administrative  control,  or  for  the  kind  of 
publicity  that  should  be  sought,  it  is  not  at  all  necessary  that 
the  publication  of  all  sorts  of  tables  should  be  annually 
repeated.  For  some  types  of  information,  biennial  or 
triennial  publication  would  suffice.  There  arc  other  types 
of  statistics  which,  if  well  presented  once  in  five  years,  with 
columns  provided  for  comparative  purposes  extending  over 
the  years  intervening  since  the  last  publication,  would  serve 
every  purpose.  In  still  other  cases,  and  especially  in  the 
case  of  somewhat  extended  studies  of  relationship  as  shown 
by  statistical  presentations,  more  or  less  frequent  publica- 
tion would  certainly  serve  every  purpose.  For  the  sake  of 
clearness,  it  would  be  desirable  in  each  report  to  publish 
a  schedule  showing  when  detailed  tables  have  been  pre- 
sented or  when  they  may  again  be  expected,  so  that  the 
interested  investigator  could  refer  to  previous  or  forth- 
coming issues  of  the  report  for  information  not  contained 
in  the  last  number.  But  in  general  there  is  no  inherent 
reason  why  every  year's  report  should  contain  in  printed 
form  all  available  statistics,  provided  there  be  some 
effective  guarantee  that  such  information  will  be  available 
at  regular  intervals,  and  that  the  school  officials  have  before 
them  for  current  administrative  use  the  information  contained 
in  these  tables. 

The  foregoing  considerations  are  based  on  an  examina- 
tion of  city  school  reports  as  they  are  now  found.  The 
methods  and  procedures  given  have,  within  limits,  been 
tested  experimentally,  and  most  of  them  have  proved  of 
statistical  utility.  Any  suggestions  and  steps  beyond  these 
must  be  regarded  as  tentative,  since  only  experience  can 
demonstrate  the  practicability  of  new  devices.  In  other 
fields  of  social  economy  administrative  control  and  publicity 
have  been  secured  through  devices  that  have  not  yet  been 


136  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

applied  to  educational  statistics.  The  United  States  De- 
partment of  Labor,  as  well  as  the  Bureau  of  Immigration, 
has  developed  means  of  interpreting  statistics  that  are  not 
found  in  other  reports  of  the  national  government.  Certain 
means  adopted  in  the  twelfth  census  exceed  in  excellence 
the  corresponding  means  found  in  educational  reports. 
The  annual  reports  of  some  of  the  large  philanthropic  organi- 
zations, like  the  New  York  Association  for  Improving  the 
Condition  of  the  Poor,  the  Charity  Organization  Society, 
and  the  United  Hebrew  Charities  of  New  York  City,  exhibit 
certain  features  of  statistical  presentation  that  might  well 
be  imitated  by  educational  officers.  In  the  reports  of  the 
state  boards  of  charity  and  correction  for  Indiana  and  Ohio 
we  find  certain  tables  showing  expenditures  for  a  variety 
of  public  institutions.  These  tables  represent  in  the  highest 
degree  the  advantages  that  accrue  from  publicity  by  means 
of  statistics.  Presented  in  such  a  way  as  to  foster  com- 
parison (not  only  by  totals,  but  by  per  capita  expenditures) 
of  the  expenses  of  the  institutions  by  years,  the  citizen  and 
the  interested  legislator  have  available  the  best  possible 
checks  on  extravagance  and  maladministration.  In  very 
little  of  our  public  work  is  the  excellent  principle  of  publicity 
pushed  so  far. 

In  the  field  of  financial  administration  it  is  hardly  in  place 
here  to  go  beyond  the  suggestion  that  the  business  world 
has  worked  out  methods  by  which  records  and  accounts 
can  be  made  to  answer  any  and  every  question  that  may 
be  in  the  mind  of  an  administrative  officer.  Enterprising 
banks,  railroads,  insurance  companies,  department  stores, 
factories,  would  not  think  of  conducting  their  business 
with  the  inefficient  methods  of  bookkeeping  that  still  obtain 
in  school  work.  As  has  been  stated  elsewhere,  we  find 
in  promoting  school  welfare  as  in  promoting  the  welfare 
of  other  city  departments  or  in  strengthening  branches  of 
business  enterprise,  the  clear  financial  statement  is  one  of 


SUGGESTED   ECONOMIES   AND    IMPROVEMENTS      137 

the  best  means  of  obtaining  increased  financial  support. 
Any  method  of  accounting  that  conceals  inefficiency  in 
financial  management  will  conceal  also  financial  need  of 
a  school  system.  Any  Board  of  Education  that  cares  to 
obtain  increased  financial  support  and  to  arrive  at  better 
standards  of  educational  bookkeeping  can  find  experts 
capable  of  devising  methods  of  relating  educational  work 
to  cost  adapted  to  the  particular  schools  in  question.  If 
in  doubt  or  if  living  in  conamunities  where  the  profession 
of  accounting  is  not  yet  developed,  directors  would  do  well 
to  address  inquiries  to  the  New  York  School  of  Philan- 
thropy, which  will  be  permanently  in  position  to  make 
helpful  suggestions. 

A  conspicuous  defect  of  most  financial  statements  in  school 
reports  is  their  failure  to  present  expenditure  in  terms  of  some 
common  denominator  to  the  end  that  the  average  reader  may 
make  easy  comparison  among  different  schools,  or  articles 
of  supply,  or  over  a  series  of  years.  As  has  been  already 
indicated,  no  statement  of  fuel  consumption  can  be  finally 
satisfactory  that  is  presented  merely  in  totals  distributed 
among  various  schools.  Such  totals  do  not  in  any  way  point 
to  wasteful  consumption.  Suppose,  for  example,  the  fuel 
consumption  were  presented  in  a  table  like  the  following, 
using  any  one  or  all  three  of  the  units  suggested ;  any  marked 
deviation  from  a  normal  amount  of  fuel  consumed  would  at 
once  suggest  inquiry  to  discover  the  cause,  which  of  course 
might  lie  in  any  one  of  several  directions,  —  like  defective 
furnaces,  exposed  or  badly  constructed  buildings,  unskillful 
firing,  or  actual  misappropriation  of  fuel. 


138 
Table  114 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


SHOWING  CONSUMPTION  OF  FUEL  IN 

DISTRICT 


SCHOOL 


Number  of  Tons 

Cost  per 
Ton 

Total 
Cost 

Cost  per 

1000  Cu. 

Ft. 

Cost  per 
Sitting 

Cost  per 
Capita  of 
Attendance 

Fuel  No.  I 

Fuel  No.  2 

School  No.  I  .    . 
School  No.  2  .    . 
Etc 

Total  of  Average 

If  such  statistics  were  preserved  year  after  year  and  if  it 
were  at  any  time  a  matter  of  uncertainty  as  to  where  causes  of 
deviation  from  the  normal  might  lie,  a  table  could  readily  be 
prepared,  which  would  cast  still  more  light  on  possible  sources 
of  waste,  by  showing,  over  a  series  of  years,  whether  a  marked 
departure  from  the  average  is  due  to  a  transient  cause  or 
to  something  fundamental  in  building  or  in  janitor  service. 
Excellent  tables  are  given  and  used  in  Milwaukee  and  Balti- 
more. After  these  forms  were  given  to  the  Superintendent  of 
Supplies  of  the  New  York  Board  of  Education  methods  were 
adopted  that  resulted  in  a  saving  of  over  $200,000  yearly  in 
coal. 

In  general  it  may  be  said  that  in  all  matters  of  routine 
expenditure  where  waste  or  peculation  may  possibly  enter, 
it  is  highly  desirable  to  present  to  the  public  something  more 
than  mere  totals  of  expenditure.  By  reducing  the  expendi- 
tures among  different  schools,  or  different  supplies  consumed, 
—  as  fuel,  school  supplies  to  children,  text-books,  etc.,  —  to 
some  unit  basis,  it  becomes  much  more  possible  to  detect 
variations  and  to  seek  an  explanation  of  the  same. 

The  statistics  of  school  expenditure  present  a  relatively 
simple  problem  in  one  respect,  owing  to  the  possibility  of 
definite  schemes  of  classification.  On  the  other  hand,  in 
endeavoring   to  provide    better    statistics    of    school   work 


SUGGESTED   ECONOMIES  AND    IMPROVEMENTS      139 

or  the  results  of  such  work,  educators  are  handicapped 
by  the  absence  of  satisfactory  schemes  of  classification. 
Children  may  be  classified  readily  enough  along  a  few  lines, 
as  previously  illustrated  in  the  existing  statistics  —  these 
being  sex,  age,  grade,  attendance,  parental  nationality  and 
occupation,  and,  less  perfectly,  scholarship,  promotion, 
graduation,  and  deportment.  But  in  the  highly  important 
matters  of  health,  moral  character,  mental  ability,  actual 
educational  progress  made  in  school,  economic  condition 
of  family,  and  many  others,  —  it  is  difiicult,  at  present,  to 
make  any  statistical  showing  because  adequate  schemes  of 
classification  have  not  yet  been  devised.  For  comparative 
purposes  it  is  obviously  almost  indispensable  to  have  simple 
schemes  of  classification.  Thus  from  the  standpoint  of  its 
effect  on  school  work,  the  health  of  children  cannot  be  classi- 
fied on  the  basis  of  the  indefinite  number  of  complaints  diag- 
nosed by  the  physician.  For  purposes  of  administrative 
control  children  should,  as  to  their  physical  well-being,  be 
divided  into  relatively  few  categories,  —  these  being  graduated 
with  reference  to  the  bearing  of  each  on  the  ability  of  the  child 
in  school  work,  or  the  degree  to  which  it  should  modify  or 
restrain  such  work.  Simply  by  way  of  illustration  it  may  be 
pointed  out  that,  if  it  were  possible  to  make  four  or  five 
divisions  of  children  on  the  basis  of  their  merely  physical 
ability  to  submit  profitably  to  school  hours,  discipline,  and 
studies,  administrative  adjustment  would  be  greatly  facili- 
tated. Some  of  our  city  schools  are  slowly  discovering  that  a 
large  percentage  of  over-age  children  are  suffering  from  some 
sort  of  positive  physical  handicap.  Surely  it  would  be  of  the 
utmost  educational  interest  and  value  (assuming  that  we 
could  simply  and  with  fair  accuracy  classify  children  on 
the  score  of  physical  well-being)  to  discover  what  relation- 
ship existed  between  physical  vitality  and  such  matters  as 
scholarship,  attendance,  over-age,  behavior,  promotion,  and 
graduation,  etc. 


I40  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

Possibly  such  classification  must  wait  on  the  development  of 
medical  inspection,  and  close  cooperation  between  school 
physicians  and  teachers.  Since,  however,  every  teacher  is 
assumed  to  know  something  of  the  health  conditions  of  her 
pupils,  and  to  wish  to  relate  school  work  to  these  health 
conditions,  it  seems  reasonably  practical  to  provide  the  teacher 
with  some  carefully  (even  if  tentatively)  planned  scheme  of 
classification,  to  the  end  that  each  child  should  be  classified 
according  to  the  teacher's  best  judgment  and  that  ultimately 
these  classifications  may  be  worked  into  relationship  with 
other  methods  of  classifying  children.  Even  the  imperfect 
work  of  the  teacher  in  this  field,  where  she  is  not  expected  to 
possess  expert  knowledge,  would  undoubtedly  make  her  more 
discriminating,  and  her  imperfect  results  might  still  shadow 
forth  certain  very  important  facts  of  school  administration. 

Moral  character,  or,  as  the  school  test  makes  it,  deportment, 
is  now  subject  to  classification  in  school  reports.  The 
classification,  however,  does  not  seem  to  be  adequate  for  the 
purposes  of  studying  the  relationship  of  the  facts  of  moral 
character  to  scholarship,  regularity  of  attendance,  over-age, 
health,  etc.,  for  we  never  find  such  studies  made  on  a  statistical 
basis.  It  is  conceivable  that  a  more  adequate  treatment  of 
classification  in  this  regard  would  lead  to  results  which  would 
finally  have  much  importance  in  the  matter  of  forming  and 
dealing  with  special  classes,  administering  discipline,  etc. 

Another  field  in  which  we  lack  classification  at  the  present 
time  has  reference  to  the  economic  and  social  condition  of  the 
homes  of  the  children.  It  might  possibly  be  considered  un- 
American  and  inquisitorial  to  endeavor  to  obtain  such  facts, 
but  in  view  of  the  close  bearing  of  nurture,  regular  rest,  etc., 
on  the  educational  work  of  the  school,  it  may  well  be  deemed 
an  essential  part  of  the  work  of  school  administration  to  obtain 
such  information.  In  all  this  discussion,  of  course,  there  is 
not  assumed  any  publicity  as  regards  individual  cases ;  public- 
ity is  supposed  to  extend  only  to  classes  of  persons  with  whom 


SUGGESTED   ECONOMIES   AND    IMPROVEMENTS      141 

the  school  deals,  and  then  only  on  the  assumption  that  such 
publicity  affects  the  educational  work  beneficially.  Hence 
the  obtaining  of  the  above  data  and  its  classification  would  not 
in  any  way  disclose  parental  conditions  except  to  those  whose 
share  in  the  education  of  the  child  entitles  them  to  confiden- 
tial information  on  these  points  on  somewhat  the  same  basis 
as  it  does  to  the  results  of  medical  inspection.  A  valuable 
contribution  to  knowledge  of  home  conditions,  and  the  need 
for  home  teaching  of  non-dependent  as  well  as  dependent  or 
very  poor  mothers,  is  given  in  the  Report  on  Home  Con- 
ditions of  1400  Families  whose  Children  were  found  by 
School  Physicians  to  have  Physical  Defects,  by  the  New 
York  Committee  on  Physical  Welfare  of  School  Children, 
American  Statistical  Journal,  July,  1907. 

So  far  as  the  results  of  school  work  are  concerned,  the 
educational  system  is  seriously  at  fault  in  its  failure  to  provide 
systems  of  classification  that  enable  the  city  to  know  what  is 
actually  done  by  its  public  school  system.  We  have  seen  that 
our  first  test  of  educational  work  is  in  terms  of  attendances 
made ;  the  second  is  in  terms  of  promotions  and  graduations. 
Beyond  this  the  public  possesses  no  means  of  ascertaining 
whether  the  work  of  the  system  is  worth  while  or  not.  An 
instance  of  this  is  found  in  the  case  of  children  who  are  kept 
in  school  under  the  operation  of  compulsory  education  laws 
and  who,  of  themselves  or  through  the  connivance  of  their 
parents,  seek  to  evade  such  laws.  What  does  this  compul- 
sory attendance  accomplish  for  them?  Do  they  make  any 
progress  in  the  classes  to  which  they  are  assigned?  What 
is  their  condition  when  they  finally  reach  the  age  where  the 
law  no  longer  may  force  them  to  attend?  At  present  our 
defective  systems  of  classification  and  statistical  presentation 
give  us  no  light  whatever  on  this  problem  which  is  surely  of 
great  administrative  importance.  Similarly  with  regard  to  the 
vast  number  of  children  who  fail  of  promotion  or  of  gradua- 
tion.   Who  are  they  ?    Why  are  they  behind  ?    What  becomes 


142  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

of  them  ?  Even  now  few  reports  are  so  prepared  as  to  indicate 
the  existence  of  such  a  class ;  whilst  in  no  case  is  any  statistical 
presentation  made  which  would  enable  the  interested  citi- 
zen to  learn  why  the  school  has  failed  to  reach  or  affect  such 
a  class.  In  other  words,  the  defects  in  our  reports  start  from 
the  elementary  fact  that  we  do  not  yet  possess  any  adequate 
system  of  classifying  the  results  of  school  work  to  the  end  that 
tabulated  statements  of  results  may  be  made. 

The  final  success  of  any  statistical  work  is  dependent  upon 
systems  of  classification  that  will  prove  workable.  In  few 
departments  of  science  or  practical  affairs  can  we  have  exact 
and  rigid  classifications ;  all  are,  within  limits,  approximate ; 
but  approximate  classifications,  if  understood  to  be  approxi- 
mate, are  of  great  service  in  all  statistical  methods  of  arriving 
at  knowledge  of  fact  and  control  of  action.  Especially  must 
any  classifications  of  school  children  be  based  measurably  on 
estimate  and  approximation ;  but  their  value  is  great. 

In  trying  to  depend  upon  classifications  and  arbitrary 
divisions  there  is,  of  course,  the  ever  present  danger  that  the 
individual  will  be  lost  sight  of,  and  it  is  probable  that  many 
efficient  superintendents,  —  especially  of  smaller  school  sys- 
tems, where  some  contact  of  superintendent  with  individual 
teacher  and  of  teacher  with  pupil  is  possible,  —  will  resent 
the  tendency  to  ask  for  more  extended  statistical  methods 
in  dealing  with  their  schools,  on  the  ground  that  they  do  not 
wish  their  teachers  to  become  statisticians,  if  that  will  in  any 
way  interfere  with  their  regard  for  the  individual.  But  this, 
of  course,  is  a  fear  of  the  abuses,  not  of  the  proper  uses,  of 
educational  statistics.  It  could  be  readily  demonstrated 
that  as  school  administration  is  at  present,  not  merely  in- 
dividuals, but  entire  groups  and  classes  of  individuals  suffer 
irremediable  injury,  owing  to  our  failure  to  develop  and  to 
employ  quantitative  standards  in  our  work.  Publicity  of  the 
right  kind  and  administrative  control  mean  that  the  instru- 
ments by  which  these  are  attained  shall  be  merely  means  to 


SUGGESTED   ECONOMIES  AND   IMPROVEMENTS      1 43 

the  knowledge  and  control  which  lie  at  the  basis  of  adminis- 
trative efficiency  and  not  that  these  means  shall  become  ends 
in  themselves. 

In  addition  to  working  classifications  that  will  cover  a 
wider  range  of  fact  than  can  now  be  reached,  there  is  also 
a  well-defined  demand  for  such  forms  of  record  as  will  tend 
to  give  the  main  facts  regarding  each  individual  pupil  through- 
out his  school  life.  Because  the  class  register  is  not  practicable 
for  this  purpose  the  continuous  card  is  proposed.  The  con- 
tinuous card  record  has  been  tried  at  some  points,  especially 
in  high  schools,  as  a  means  of  preserving  a  permanent  scholar- 
ship record  in  cases  where  promotion  is  by  subject.  In 
elementary  schools  it  has  been  used,  but  only  in  one  or  two 
places  in  such  a  form  as  to  preserve  all  the  important  facts 
regarding  the  individual  pupil.  Frequently  it  contains  only 
name  and  residence,  name  of  parent,  etc.,  and  is  used  by  the 
principal.  But  the  ideal  card  should  be  such  as  would,  at  the 
end  of  each  term  or  year,  receive  from  the  register  and  the 
book  of  class  standings  all  the  important  facts,  in  summarized 
form,  so  that  from  term  to  term  or  year  to  year  these  would 
be  accumulated,  thus  providing  a  history  of  the  pupil.  In 
German  and  French  schools  this  is  accomplished  by  the  book 
which  the  pupil  retains.  But  for  administrative  purposes  in 
American  schools  it  would  be  preferable  that  this  card  should 
always  be  retained  by  the  school,  provision  being  made  to  have 
it  passed  on  from  one  school  to  another  as  the  pupil  is  trans- 
ferred. Such  a  card  as  this  is  now  advocated  by  a  com- 
mittee of  principals  for  the  New  York  schools,  and  if  adopted, 
will  undoubtedly  be  quickly  copied  in  other  schools.  It  is 
estimated  that  this  card  and  the  changes  that  it  would  neces- 
sitate will  save  one  half  hour  a  day  for  each  teacher  and  in 
addition  will  give  invaluable  information  as  to  school,  prin- 
cipal, teacher,  and  child.  Facts  as  to  the  proposed  individual 
record  can  be  had  by  applying  to  City  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  59th  Street  and  Park  Avenue,  New  York  City. 


144 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


The  precise  form  of  such  a  card  as  this  would  have  to  be  a 
matter  of  experiment  in  schools  of  different  types  and  sizes. 
Here  again  is  need  for  a  scientific  investigation  such  as  only 
the  United  States  Bureau  of  Education  is  equipped  to  make 
for  all  states.  It  is  important  that  a  card  be  devised  that  is 
suitable  for  all  sections  of  the  country,  because  comparison 
of  one  city  with  another  is  a  most  valuable  means  of  school 
progress.  If,  as  before  suggested,  it  were  possible  to  make  in 
some  very  brief  form  a  classification  of  pupils  as  to  health, 
deportment,  social  environment,  etc.,  it  would  certainly  be 
desirable  that  space  be  provided  for  such  facts.  Obviously 
a  form  like  the  following  would  contain  the  more  important 
facts : 


Table  115 


SAMPLE  CARD   FOR  CONTINUOUS  RECORD 

(Size    5  in.  by  7  in.) 


Name  (Boy  or  Girl) 

Year      Month      Day 

Date  of  Birth 

Place  of  Birth 


Name  of  Father 

Occupation  of  Father. 
Nationality  of  Father. 


Name  of  School 

Grade 

Term 

Promotion 

Residence 

Attendance 

Present 

Absent 

P.  S.  71 

4th  B. 

j  I- 1 4-06  ) 
\  6-10-06  ) 

P 

221  Blank 

171 

29 

OF  School 

Scholarship 

a 

i 
a 

(U 

Q 

.5 

Name 

bb 

•5 

^ 

0 

si 
0 

0 

U 

H 

B 

Special  Notes 

P.  S.  71  . 

12 

A 

c 

B 

D 

B 

A 

A 

c 

B 

Was  ill  I  month 

A  separate  sheet  of  instructions  would  be  supplied  to  the 
teacher.  Most  of  the  above  items  are  self-explanatory,  but 
note: 


SUGGESTED  ECONOMIES  AND   IMPROVEMENTS      145 

1.  If  pupil  is  boy,  cancel  word  girl,  and  vice  versa. 

2.  Use  P,  nP,  and  cP  for  promoted,  not  promoted,  conditionally 
promoted. 

3.  Scholarship  marks  are  found  by  averaging  quarter  marks  in 
special  subjects,  and  averaging  these  for  groups  of  related  subjects, 
e.g.  spelUng,  composition,  mechanics  of  reading,  and  grammar  make 
the  subject  "Language." 

4.  Teacher's  estimate  of  health  is  from  teacher's  standpoint.  Medical 
examiner  has  separate  card.  Teacher  will  use  following  basis  of  record 
for  health. 

A.  Continuous  good  health  and  working  vigor. 

B.  Good  health,  except  period  of  illness. 

C.  Generally  poor  health  or  chronic  colds,  nervousness,  etc.,  but 
not  so  as  to  interfere  greatly  with  school  work. 

D.  Chronically  poor  health,  periods  of  severe  illness,  etc. 

The  statistical  uses  to  which  some  such  card  could  be  put  in 
endeavoring  to  improve  administrative  control  of  a  school 
system  are  almost  indefinite.  Many  of  the  most  important 
questions  as  to  what  the  school  is  able  to  accomplish  with 
children  —  questions  of  retardation  in  grades,  of  causes  of 
failure  of  promotion,  etc.  —  could  be  statistically  answered. 
As  a  means  of  educational  diagnosis,  some  thousands  of  such 
cards,  running  over  a  series  of  years,  would  be  incomparably 
superior  to  any  form  of  records  now  made.  Furthermore,  as  a 
means  of  diagnosing  social  conditions  and  social  tendencies 
there  is  ground  for  believing  that  no  other  field  offers  greater 
opportunity  for  such  scientific  research  as  that  to  which  are 
devoted  the  funds  of  the  Carnegie  Institution  for  Scientific 
Research  and  the  Russell  Sage  Foundation  for  Improving 
Social  Conditions. 

Grave  doubt  is  frequently  expressed  whether  the  school 
census  in  the  large  American  city  is  a  profitable  investment 
of  money.  Common  sense  tells  us  that  if  educational  ad- 
ministration is  to  be  at  all  worth  while,  it  is  desirable  that  the 
city  know  how  many  children  are  to  be  educated,  where  they 
are  located,  and  whether  they  are  receiving  an  education  at 


146  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

the  hands  of  private  agencies.  But  experience  often  dem- 
onstrates that  as  the  school  census  is  now  taken  we  really  do 
not  arrive  at  any  workable  statement  in  regard  to  the  above 
matters.  The  census  is  taken  by  people  who  are  inexpert 
and  who  can  get  trustworthy  information  only  on  matters  of 
number  and  location,  regarding  which  parents  have  no  desire 
to  misstate  facts.  The  results  of  the  census  are  published 
only  after  a  considerable  interval  during  which  many  children 
have  come  of  age,  many  have  moved,  and  other  conditions 
have  changed.  Finally,  the  census  when  taken  is  not  in  a 
form  to  be  actually  used  by  a  given  school  or  its  attendance 
department  in  a  profitable  way.  This  criticism  applies  to 
most  American  cities. 

It  seems  quite  probable  that  the  taking  and  keeping  of  the 
school  census  will  have  to  be  put  on  an  entirely  different 
basis  before  it  will  successfully  meet  the  real  needs  of  the 
situation.  The  following  is  submitted  as  a  logical  solution 
of  the  difficulty.  In  its  main  features  it  corresponds  to  many 
of  the  modern  devices  of  successful  business  administration, 
and  merits,  therefore,  the  credit  of  an  examination.^ 

Each  large  American  city  has,  as  an  adjunct  to  its  educa- 
tional administration,  an  attendance  department.  Let  us 
assume  that  a  census  of  all  children  in  a  given  school  dis- 
trict is  once  made,  and  its  results  preserved  on  cards  in  the 
form  of  a  card  catalogue.  Let  us  assume  that  once  being 
made,  it  becomes  the  duty  of  the  attendance  department  to 
keep  this  census  up  to  date.  Naturally  a  procedure  somewhat 
like  the  following  would  be  carried  out :  a  week  or  two  after 
the  opening  of  the  public  school  of  a  given  district,  the  attend- 
ance officer  would  sort  out,  from  the  entire  number  of  cards 
standing  for  the  children  of  school  age  in  the  district  during 
the  previous  term,  the  cards  of  those  children  who  were  now  in 
attendance,  and  also  the  cards  of  those  who  had  passed  beyond 

'  The  substance  of  this  discussion  of  the  School  Census  appeared  in  the 
New  York  School  Journal,  Vol.  70,  p.  553. 


SUGGESTED   ECONOMIES   AND    IMPROVEMENTS      147 

the  compulsory  school  age.  The  attendance  officer  would 
find  in  the  school  a  number  of  children  for  whom  he  had  no 
census  cards,  these  representing  new  arrivals  in  the  district. 
For  these  new  cards  could  readily  be  prepared  in  the  school 
itself. 

After  this  preliminary  sorting,  there  would  remain  the 
cards  of  all  children  not  attending  school.  These  would 
consist  of  the  following  classes :  (a)  Children  who  had  re- 
moved from  the  district  during  the  summer ;  (b)  Children  who 
were  attending  private  schools;  (c)  Children  detained  by 
parents  for  satisfactory  reasons,  as  illness ;  and  (d)  Children 
who  were  absent  from  school  illegally.  A  further  sorting  of 
the  cards  could  now  be  made,  for  purely  temporary  purposes, 
on  the  basis  of  those  who,  by  virtue  of  their  previous  record, 
would  probably  fall  into  classes  (b)  and  (c).  This  would 
leave  a  residuum  of  cases  which  it  would  be  the  business  of 
the  attendance  department  to  investigate  at  once.  If,  owing 
to  the  age  or  sex  or  previous  record  of  the  pupil,  it  seemed 
probable  that  certain  children  were  being  illegally  employed, 
or  were  truant,  then  naturally  these  cases  would  be  first  in- 
vestigated. Or,  since  each  card  contains  the  residence  of  the 
pupil  for  the  preceding  year,  it  would  be  possible  now  to  classify 
these  cards  by  city  blocks  or  such  other  restricted  areas  as 
would  facilitate  door-to-door  investigation.  In  the  course 
of  this  investigation,  the  officer  would  find  many  cases  of 
removal,  and  the  houses  occupied  by  newcomers.  For  these 
newcomers  he  would  then  and  there  make  a  census.  In 
other  cases  he  would  discover  illness,  chronic  or  temporary, 
and  here  a  record  of  this  fact  would  be  made.  Other  children 
would  be  reported  at  parochial  schools,  and  note  be  made  of 
that  fact,  —  the  parent's  statement  to  be  corroborated  later 
by  information  procured  from  the  school  itself.  And  so  the 
work  would  go  on,  the  attendance  department  proceeding  in 
a  thoroughly  systematic  fashion  instead  of  the  haphazard 
fashion  that  is  now  the  rule  in  most  cities. 


148  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

There  would  still  be  a  certain  number  of  newcomers  in  the 
district  for  whom  there  were  no  cards  in  the  school.  If  these 
children  were  sent  to  private  school  or  illegally  detained  from 
school,  the  attendance  department  would  have  no  check  on 
them  until  it  had  included  them  in  its  census.  This  assumes 
that  the  department  would,  in  due  season,  set  about  the 
making  of  census  of  all  these  new  arrivals,  and  in  a  region 
where  there  is  much  shifting  of  population  this  would  be  a 
considerable  task.  But  at  least  two  considerations  must  be 
kept  in  mind  here.  The  first  is  that  the  attendance  officer 
or  officers  attached  to  a  given  school  would  be  supposed  to 
know  their  areas  very  well.  Knowing  these  areas  thus  well, 
they  would  by  multitudinous  ways  receive  a  large  amount  of 
information  as  to  new  arrivals,  location  of  unschooled  children, 
etc.,  quite  early  in  the  year.  It  has  been  previously  shown 
that  the  investigation  of  homes  from  which  families  on  last 
year's  record  have  removed  would  suffice  to  disclose  a  con- 
siderable number  of  these  new  arrivals.  Again,  the  attend- 
ance department  would  be  at  work  the  entire  year  taking 
note  of  all  new  arrivals  at  the  school,  and  so  a  considerable 
number  of  new  arrivals  would  tend  to  enroll  themselves. 

In  discussing  any  continuous  census  of  this  sort,  it  must  be 
kept  in  mind  that  it  could  be  made  to  provide  information 
which  the  census  as  now  taken  cannot  provide.  The  present 
census  is  usually  taken  by  very  inexpert  people,  —  by  the 
police  or  by  men  or  women  hired  for  a  few  days  and  who 
know  little  of  the  language  or  customs  of  the  area  in  which 
they  work.  It  is  taken  by  people  who  have  neither  opportu- 
nity nor  desire  to  pursue  their  investigations  further  than  a 
merely  formal  compliance  with  the  requirements  of  their 
work.  Where  the  police  take  the  census,  conditions  are  some- 
what improved,  but  here  again  there  are  many  obstacles  in 
the  way  of  securing  exact  information.  It  is  not  for  the  inter- 
mittent census  taker  to  determine  whether  a  child  reported 
as  deaf,  ill,  or  crippled,  is  really  so  or  not.     But  the  attend- 


SUGGESTED   ECONOMIES   AND   IMPROVEMENTS      149 

ance  department,  cooperating  with  all  departments  of  the 
school  system  and  also  with  the  organized  charitable  asso- 
ciations, would  have  greater  reason  and  greater  opportunity 
to  verify  the  facts. 

Again,  any  statistics  of  school  attendance  now  taken  in  the 
census  are  practically  worthless,  even  assuming  that  parents 
report  correctly,  for  they  express  that  attendance  in  no  quanti- 
tative way.  For  example,  the  school  census  of  a  city  shows 
that  so  many  children  of  given  ages  have  attended  public 
school  and  so  many  have  attended  parochial  school.  But 
there  is  nothing  to  prevent  an  attendance  of  a  week  or  two 
from  counting  in  either  enumeration.  On  the  other  hand, 
if  provision  were  made  to  enter  the  approximate  time  attend- 
ances on  the  permanent  card  kept  by  the  attendance  de- 
partment, the  officer  could  easily  obtain  such  figures  from 
public  and  private  schools  at  a  minimum  expenditure  of  time. 

From  these  cards,  in  the  long  run,  could  also  be  obtained  the 
most  satisfactory  information  for  the  enforcement  of  child 
labor  laws.  After  such  census  had  been  kept  up  for  some 
years,  it  would  be  entirely  practicable  to  obtain  the  past 
school  history  of  any  city  child.  The  earlier  age  records 
would  seldom  show  any  tendency  to  give  false  records,  and 
so  a  check  would  be  had  on  the  tendencies  of  parents  to  over- 
estimate the  ages  of  their  children  when  the  age  limit  for 
compulsory  attendance  is  approaching. 

Nothing  is  said  here  about  the  cooperation  of  one  school 
with  another  in  the  matter  of  keeping  these  records  ad- 
justed, and  in  interchanging  cards  where  the  address  to  which 
families  have  moved  can  be  found.  But  a  really  efficient 
scheme  of  administration  would  soon  discover  opportunities 
for  this. 

However  businesslike  such  a  plan  as  the  above  may  appear 
on  paper,  its  feasibility  may  be  questioned.  At  present  New 
York  has  one  attendance  officer  to  something  like  nine  thou- 
sand children  on  net  enrollment.     Even  for  the  present  work 


150  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

of  the  attendance  department  it  is  claimed  that  the  above 
number  of  officers  is  quite  inadequate.  If  it  were  possible  to 
utilize  some  of  the  money  now  spent  on  the  taking  of  the  school 
census,  it  would  considerably  increase  the  efficiency  of  an  at- 
tendance department.  It  is  very  improbable  that  the  keeping 
of  a  live  census  would  be  in  effect  the  addition  of  so  much  more 
work  to  the  present  attendance  department,  for  the  census 
above  proposed  would  in  many  directions  greatly  expedite 
the  present  work  of  the  department.  It  is  quite  conceivable 
that  one  attendance  officer  to  5000  children  of  school  age  in  a 
compactly  settled  city  like  New  York  might  be  sufficient  to  do 
the  entire  work  because  there  would  be  relatively  few  cases 
to  be  investigated  after  due  account  of  all  children  actually 
attending  school  had  been  taken;  and  the  businesslike 
methods  above  proposed  would  tend  to  bring  this  residue  into 
evidence  in  the  most  expeditious  manner  possible. 

It  should  be  noted  that,  while  the  school  would  be  the  main 
gainer  in  effectiveness  through  a  trustworthy  and  up-to-date 
census,  other  civic  work  would  be  greatly  aided  by  it.  Chari- 
table societies  would  find  it  of  much  service,  and  the  statistics 
of  children  so  gathered  would  be  of  the  utmost  significance  to 
students  and  scientists. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  Practical  Study  of  One  School  Report  (New 
York  City) 

The  starting  point  for  any  school  officer  or  volunteer  student 
of  school  needs  who  may  wish  to  apply  the  principles  laid 
down  in  the  foregoing  chapters  will  naturally  be  the  report 
of  his  own  schools.  By  applying  to  one's  local  school  report 
questions  raised  in  Chapter  V,  or  by  comparing  tables  with 
those  cited  in  Chapter  IV  from  the  best  city  reports,  the  reader 
will  be  able  at  once  to  see  whether  constructive  suggestions 
are  required.  The  complete  report  for  the  schools  of  New 
York  City  is  in  two  volumes,  one  signed  by  the  Superin- 
tendent of  Schools  (for  the  school  year  ending  July  31)  and 
one  by  the  Board  of  Education  (for  the  fiscal  year  ending  De- 
cember 31).  Since  the  latter  is  not  given  general  circulation, 
and  since  the  former  contains  facts  as  to  financial  adminis- 
tration, this  study  of  reporting  in  New  York  City  is  confined 
to  the  City  Superintendent's  Eighth  Annual  Report  for  the 
year  ending  July  31,  1906. 

Its  Potential  Influence 

A  word-to-word  reading  of  this  document  of  479  pages 
shows  that  it  deals  with  questions  of  tremendous  moment  not 
only  to  New  York  City,  but  to  the  educational  world.  In 
fact,  it  is  probable  that  no  other  single  school  report  touches 
upon  so  many  problems  and  so  many  aims  of  a  public  school 
system.  Effective  use  is  repeatedly  made  of  tabular  state- 
ments to  disclose  tendencies,  to  show  increases  and  de- 
creases, to  advertise  the  needs  of  different  districts  and  differ- 
ent schools  for  special  facilities,  to  interpret  the  progress  of 
certain  lines  of  educational  effort.  The  argument  for  adequate 
records  and  accounts  is  condensed  in  the  plea  for  a  study 
of  European  experience  of  trade  schools  (p.  123),  —  "The 

151 


152  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

chief  difficulty  is  that  we  have  no  traditions  to  guide  us,  no 
standards  by  which  to  measure  our  work,  no  fund  of  ex- 
perience from  which  to  draw."  Just  because  this  report  is 
brim  full  of  suggestive  material  it  is  important  that  its  sug- 
gestions, and  the  experience  upon  which  these  suggestions 
are  based,  be  marshaled  with  the  utmost  efficiency.  No 
American  school  report,  in  fact  no  school  report  in  the  world, 
has  the  educational  opportunity  of  that  describing  the  ex- 
perience and  the  needs  of  New  York  City's  schools.  So  far 
as  its  standards  are  higher  than  other  cities,  it  exerts  a  power- 
ful influence  for  more  intelligent  analysis  of  school  experience. 
So  far  as  its  statistical  and  pedagogical  methods  fall  short,  it  is 
probably  true  of  this  report  as  of  no  other,  that  it  is  a  serious 
handicap  to  educational  advance  throughout  the  world.  In 
attempting,  therefore,  to  measure  this  report  by  the  standards 
set  up  in  the  foregoing  chapters,  we  are  not  only  suggesting 
steps  by  which  any  school  officer  or  volunteer  may  measure 
his  local  school  report,  but  we  are  interpreting  the  need  for 
school  statistics  in  the  light  of  the  interests  of  700,000  children 
in  one  administrative  unit  and  of  taxpayers  who  gladly  pay 
a  school  tax  of  nearly  $30,000,000  a  year. 

Technical  Methods 

It  would  not  be  profitable  in  this  chapter  to  make  a  critical 
examination  in  detail,  as  in  almost  every  instance  typical  needs 
called  to  the  attention  of  those  who  prepare  a  report  will 
suffice  to  establish  both  principle  and  method.  Of  the  147 
questions  given  in  Chapter  V,  1 1 3  (marked*)  are  not  answered 
in  the  New  York  Report.  The  great  number  of  questions  not 
there  listed  that  are  answered,  however,  speak  eloquently  of 
the  possibilities  of  a  school  report  that  is  intended  to  answer 
important  queries  and  to  help  solve  problems.  It  is  proposed, 
therefore,  merely  to  cite  a  few  examples  where  tables  could 
be  easily  improved  and  the  Superintendent's  message  strength- 
ened, were  certain  technical  methods  adopted  that  have  been 
found  useful  in  other  cities. 


a  practical  study  of  one  school  report    1 53 

Alphabetical  Topical  Index 

The  Table  of  Contents  is  chronological,  not  topical.  In 
reading  these  four  pages  one  gets  the  impression  of  a  sug- 
gestive, comprehensive  report  dealing  with  a  great  many 
social  and  educational  conditions  and  problems,  —  kinder- 
garten growth,  part-time  problem,  promotion,  schools  without 
kindergarten,  shops  or  kitchen,  changes  in  course  of  study 
for  elementary  schools,  diseases  in  school  children,  classes  for 
mentally  defective  children,  schools  for  the  crippled,  deaf  and 
dumb  and  blind,  compulsory  education,  pupils'  self-govern- 
ment, parents'  meetings,  drawing,  music,  cooking,  vacation 
schools  and  playgrounds,  physical  training,  medical  school 
inspection.  But  since  few  persons  read  any  report  from 
cover  to  cover  and  since  most  of  us  use  reports  for  answering 
questions  as  to  one  particular  problem  at  a  time,  the  reader  can 
obtain  little  help  from  this  Table  of  Contents.  An  alphabet- 
ical, topical  index,  showing  for  the  Superintendent's  report 
and  its  twenty  appendices  all  the  pages  where  each  subject 
is  treated,  would  greatly  increase  both  the  usefulness  and  the 
interest  of  the  report. 

Typographical  Technique 

The  introductory  pages  that  set  forth  the  powers  and  organ- 
ization of  the  Board  of  Education  (pp.  9-14)  promise  logical 
treatment,  use  of  indentation,  numerals,  and  letters  to  facilitate 
classification.  This  promise,  however,  the  body  of  the  re- 
port fails  to  fulfill.  No  use  is  made  of  heavy-faced  type  or  of 
the  many  other  devices  by  which  a  printer  can  aid  the  reader. 
There  are  no  page  headings.  Page  after  page  of  solid  printed 
matter  is  given  that  is  too  valuable  to  be  permitted  to  seem 
uninteresting.  Superintendents  who  find  the  same  defects 
in  their  own  reports  will  find  also  that  a  little  expert  editing 
will  not  only  add  to  the  clearness  and  interest  of  their  story, 
but  will  save  both  space  and  money. 


154 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


Economy  of  Condensation 

Repetition  is  expensive.  This  report  consumes  pages  in 
itemizing  facts  that  it  later  puts  in  a  summary  table  occupying 
but  an  inch  or  two.  Why  not  dispense  with  the  long  drawn- 
out,  unintelligible  enumeration  of  isolated  facts  and  let  the 
summary  tell  the  story?  The  story  of  progress  in  providing 
seats  (p.  i8  ff .)  would  be  greatly  helped  by  a  short  table  that 
would  disclose  what  the  English  call  "expectancy,"  not  only 
for  the  city  as  a  whole,  but  for  each  grade,  thus : 

Table  ii6 

SITTINGS   BY   GRADES   IN   ELEMENTARY   SCHOOLS 


Opening  school  year  September,  1906 

Added  during  year  1906 

At  beginning  school  year  1906  .  . 
Added  September  to  December,  1906 
Total  available  sittings  January,  1907 

Total  contracted  for 

To  be  completed  September,  1907  . 
Total  available  September,  1907    .     . 


Total 


The  economy  of  condensation  is  illustrated  by  p.  87  of 
the  New  York  report  which  is  here  reproduced  with  the 
same  matter  set  up  in  condensed  form  (Table  117  a): 


Table  117.    New  York 

ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS 

PRINCIPALS 


Number  of  Applications 

Number  Granted 

Number  Refused 

10 

10 

0 

A  PRACTICAL  STUDY  OF  ONE  SCHOOL  REPORT      155 

ASSISTANTS  TO  PRINCIPALS 


Number  of  Applications 

Number  Granted 

Number  Refused 

6 

4 

2 

GRADUATING   CLASS   LICENSES 


Number  of  Applications 

Number  Granted 

Number  Refused 

21 

14 

7 

LICENSES   FOR   PROMOTION 


Number  of  Applications 

Number  Granted 

Number  Refused 

126 

63 

63 

KINDERGARTEN   LICENSES 


Number  of  Applications 

Number  Granted 

Number  Refused 

278 

193 

85 

Table  117  a. 


ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS 


Licenses  Sought 

No.  Applications 

No.  Granted 

No.  Refused 

Principals 

Assistants  to  Principals 
Graduating  Class     .     . 

Promotion 

Kindergarten  .... 

10 

6 

21 

126 

278 

10 

4 

14 

63 

193 

0 
2 

7 
63 

85 

A  map  defining  the  school  districts  could  be  used  year  after 
year,  and  besides  telling  the  reader  what  part  of  the  city  was 
meant  by  District  37,  would  save  setting  up  each  year  the 
enumeration  of  divisions  and  districts  (p.  16).  The  number 
of  children,  teachers,  and  schools  per  district  and  per  division 
would  indicate  the  magnitude  of  responsibility  per  division  or 


iS6 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


district  superintendent,  and  would  supplement  the  map  in 
aiding  a  number  of  agencies  endeavoring  to  secure  adequate 
funds  for  schools,  parks,  playgrounds,  public  baths,  etc. 

Summary  Tables 

The  summary  on  p.  23  shows  that  the  possibilities  of 
omission  in  a  summary  are  almost  as  great  as  the  possibilities 
of  inclusion.  Because  few  persons  have  time  to  read  446 
pages  of  editorial  comment,  it  is  highly  desirable  to  present 
summaries  giving  the  essential  features  of  school  experience 
and  indicating  the  essential  problems.  If  the  summaries  in 
our  New  York  report  were  comprehensive,  there  could  be  no 
possible  excuse  for  a  school  commissioner's  boast  that  he  had 
never  read  a  school  report  in  his  life.  It  is  suggested  that  no 
more  important  step  toward  adequate,  uniform  reporting  of 
school  facts  could  be  taken  than  for  the  school  authorities  in 
New  York  to  prepare  summaries  adequate  in  form  and  in 
content.  It  is  not  too  much  to  affirm  that  proper  summaries 
requiring  possibly  6  or  10  pages  would  render  unnecessary 
100,  perhaps  200,  pages  of  the  present  bulky  report.  The 
summary  table  is  here  produced  without  figures  and  should 
be  compared  with  similar  tables  in  Chapter  IV. 

Table  118.    New  York 


1905-1906 


Increase 


Per  Cent 


Net  enrollment  in  all  schools   .     . 

Average  daily  attendance    .     .     . 

Per  cent  of  average  daily  attend- 
ance on  average  register     .     . 

Average  register  in  high  schools 

Average  register  in  training 
schools 

Average  register  in  elementary 
schools 


A  PRACTICAL  STUDY  OF  ONE  SCHOOL  REPORT   157 


Average  register  in  kindergartens 
Number  of  superintendents     .     . 


Number  of  directors  of  special 
branches   

Number  of  assistant  directors  of 
special  branches 

Number  of  teachers  of  special 
branches    

Number  of  training  school  prin- 
cipals     

Number  of  training  school 
teachers 


Number  of  high  school  principals 


Number  of  high  school  teachers 


Number  of  elementary  school 
principals  and  heads  of  depart- 
ments     

Number  of  elementary  school 
teachers 


Number  of  kindergarten  teachers 

Average  number  of  pupils  to  a 
teacher  in  high  schools  based 
on  the  average  register    .     .     . 

Average  number  of  pupils  to  a 
class  in  elementary  schools 
based  on  the  average  register 

Average  number  of  pupils  to  a 
class  in  kindergartens  based  on 
the  average  register     .... 


1904-190S    1905-1906    Increase    Per  Cent 


158 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


Many  useful  modifications  are  possible  in  the  foregoing 
summary.  The  totals  for  1905  being  of  little  importance 
when  the  increase  in  1906  over  1905  is  given,  there  would  be 
no  great  loss  if  the  figures  for  1905  were  omitted  and  the 
space  used  to  give  information  of  value.  If  desirable  to  tell 
more  of  the  story  on  one  page,  several  columns  could  be  added 
by  turning  the  page  around  and  running  the  headings  from 
bottom  to  top,  as  in  many  of  the  tables  in  Chapter  IV.  Much 
space  is  wasted  because  some  headings  take  two  lines.  Some 
of  these  lines  could  be  shortened.  For  example,  number  0/ 
can  be  dropped.  Based  on  average  register  uses  up  three 
lines.  A  footnote  might  explain  once  for  all  that  average 
number  of  pupils  enrolled  means  average  register.  In  fact, 
a  key  to  abbreviations  and  to  terms  in  the  first  pages  might 
save  a  great  deal  of  explanatory  matter  in  the  body  of  the 
report.  Space  saved  by  turning  the  page  and  by  omitting 
unnecessary  words  might  be  used  for  additional  important 
facts  classified  according  to  kind  of  school.     For  example : 

Table  119 


Net  enrollment .  . 
Highest  enrollment 
Lowest  enrollment 
Average  register  . 
Average  attendance 
Average  absence  . 
Per  cent  promoted 
Per    cent    not    pro 

moted  .... 
Per  capita  cost  .  . 
Total  cost  .  .  . 
Number  of  teachers 
Pupils  per  teacher 
Sittings    under    con 

struction  .  .  . 
Additional  sitting i 

needed  .... 
Children  examined 
Days  lost  account  in 

fection  .... 


Kindergarten 


1906        Inc, 


Elementary 


1906      Inc. 


High 


1906    Inc, 


Training 


1906    Inc. 


All  Schools 


1906      Inc, 


A   PRACTICAL  STUDY   OF   ONE   SCHOOL   REPORT 


159 


Thus  without  additional  space  it  is  made  possible  to  com- 
pare readily  different  kinds  of  school  and  different  facts  for 
each  kind  of  school.  The  reader  beginning  with  the  high 
school  column  could  quickly  learn  all  the  important  facts 
about  pupils,  teachers,  and  needs  in  these  schools.  The 
feasibility  of  such  suggestion  is  shown  not  only  by  numerous 
reports  in  Chapter  IV,  but  by  the  register  of  individual  schools 
in  the  New  York  report  (p.  453  ff.).  In  1906  the  report 
gave: 


School 


Location 


Principal 


5?: 


54  G 


io4tb  St.  &  Amsterdam  Ave. 


Margaretta  Uiblein 


In  1907  the  same  space  gives  the  following : 


School 


54  G 


Location 


104th  St.  Si  Amsterdam  Ave. 


c3~"0 
I-   ri  C 

< 


768 


a, 


o  §  C    - 


3P-if 


872 


°  o  g  « 
B   3  c3  "   S 

3(1.(1,0 ; 

2; 


Totals  should  be  Classified 

Unclassified  totals  are  largely  responsible  for  the  evil 
reputation  of  statistics.  These  are  found  frequently  in  the 
New  York  report.  For  example,  the  table  on  p.  32  gives  for 
each  of  22  districts  of  Manhattan  the  number  of  sittings, 
excess  or  deficiency  of  sittings,  and  the  number  of  pupils 
registered  September  30,  1906.  In  7  districts  there  is  a 
total  deficiency  of  3,719  sittings;  in  15  districts  there  is  an 
excess  of  20,164  sittings;  a  net  excess  in  all  districts  of  16,445 
sittings.  If,  however,  average  need  for  sittings,  i.e.'  average 
attendance,  had  been  compared  with  sittings  provided,  there 
would  have  been  an  excess  of  sittings  in  every  district,  total- 


l6o  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

ing  33,905  in  all  districts,  and  an  excess  of  4,667  in  the  7 
supposedly  deficient  districts.  (The  foregoing  figures  for 
attendance  are  obtained  by  applying  to  the  register  for  Sep- 
tember 30,  the  attendance  percentage,  90.6%,  for  the  previous 
year,  all  boroughs.  The  attendance  is  not  given  by  districts.) 
Without  locating  needy  grades  it  vi^ould  appear  then  that 
unclassified  totals  as  to  excess  or  deficiency  of  sittings  would 
throw  no  light  on  schools  or  districts  needing  more  seats  or 
having  part-time  pupils.  Such  judgment  is  confirmed  by 
p.  45  which  gives  the  number  of  part-time  pupils  in  each  dis- 
trict, the  date  being  the  same  as  for  the  above-quoted  table. 
Of  22  districts  having  an  excess  of  16,445  sittings  when 
compared  with  the  register,  or  of  33,905  when  compared 
with  average  need  for  sittings,  12  districts  report  from  190 
to  6,264  pupils  on  part-time,  a  total  of  21,587.  District  3, 
which  reports  an  excess  of  2,355  sittings,  also  reports  190 
part-time  pupils;  Number  7,  with  597  seats  to  spare,  has 
2,047  part-time  pupils.  Had  this  table  compared  the  num- 
ber of  sittings  in  grades  where  there  is  overcrowding  with 
the  number  of  pupils  in  those  grades,  the  real  needs  would 
have  been  clearly  shown.  Had  the  register  and  sittings  for 
each  grade  been  given,  any  one  could  tell  just  where  relief 
was  needed  and  where  consolidation  of  two  or  three  classes 
was  possible.  Had  the  returns  been  classified  by  grades 
on  each  principal's  report  for  September  30,  1906,  it  would 
have  been  as  easy  to  show  the  real  situation  and  the  places 
where  relief  was  needed  as  to  print  unclassified  totals. 

Uniform  District  Reports 

The  division  superintendents  make  reports,  but,  while  they 
are  presumably  coping  with  comparable  conditions,  it  is  not 
possible  to  compare  the  problems  or  the  efficiency  of  these 
important  officials.  A  uniform  basis  of  reporting  would 
bring  out  differences  which  the  city  superintendent,  school 


A   PRACTICAL  STUDY   OF   ONE   SCHOOL   REPORT      l6l 

commissioner,  and  reader  would  wish  explained.  Further- 
more, such  comparative  statements  would  give  to  the  weakest 
and  least  orderly  mind  among  the  division  superintendents 
the  method  worked  out  by  the  strongest,  most  orderly  mind. 
That  there  are  differences  in  orderliness  the  division  reports 
prove.  With  advantage  the  Connecticut  plan  could  be  copied 
of  ranking  superintendents  according  to  pupils  registered, 
attendance,  number  of  classes,  part-time  pupils,  truancy, 
number  of  teachers,  per  cent  of  promotion,  per  cent  of  de- 
motions, regularity  of  attendance,  facilities  needed.  Such 
ranking  would  not  only  stimulate  both  wholesome  rivalry 
and  critical  study,  but  would  undoubtedly  lead  to  similar 
ranking  of  district  superintendents  by  division  chiefs,  of 
principals  by  district  superintendents,  and  of  teachers  by 
principals.  Instead  of  leveling  the  individuality  of  the  dis- 
trict superintendents,  the  uniform  basis  of  presenting  the 
facts  about  which  comment  is  made  would  bring  into  clear 
relief  the  personality  of  each  writer  and  would  concentrate 
upon  editorial  style  and  matter  the  attention  which  is  now 
diverted  by  a  great  deal  of  statistical  matter  that  readers  are 
unable  to  assimilate. 


Averages  may  Mislead 

How  averages  mislead  is  shown  on  p.  216  which  gives  the 
number  of  papers  marked  and  the  average  per  cent  attained 
in  each  of  twenty-six  high  school  subjects : 


Subject 


English  . 
Algebra  . 
Geometry 


January,  iqo6 


Number  of  Papers 


545 
1,068 
1,198 


Average  Per  Cent 
attained  in  Subject 


66.5 
64.9 
56.9 


If  8  boys  attain  70%  and   2   boys  attain  10%,   what  is 
the  average  scholarship? 

M 


1 62 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


ioo%  X  lo  =  1, 000%,  the  maximum  possibility  for  10 
boys. 

60%  X  10  =  600%,  the  minimum  requirement  for  pro- 
moting 10  boys. 

If  8  attain  70%  (70%  x  8  =  560%)  and  2  attain  10% 
(10%  X  2  =  20%),  the  class  as  a  whole  attains  580%,  or  20% 
less  than  passing  mark.  In  other  words  by  the  method  of 
averages  given  in  the  above  table  100%  of  a  class  of  10  would 
appear  as  falling  below  passing  mark,  whereas  80%  were  10 
points  above  passing  mark. 

Comparing  School  with  School 

To  compare,  school  with  school,  the  failures  in  English  from 
the  present  table  requires  that  the  reader  examine  pp.  217, 
219,  221,  222,  223,  225,  226,  227,  229,  230,  232,  233,  235,  236, 
237,  238,  240,  241,  242,  243.  How  many  people  will  take  this 
trouble?  If,  however,  the  facts  as  to  English  examinations 
in  all  high  schools  were  on  the  same  page,  as  are  the  facts  as 
to  graduation  (p.  246)  and  admission  (p.  247),  even  the 
casual  reader  would  at  once  be  struck  with  the  differences 
requiring  attention. 

GRADUATES 


High  Schools 


Date  of 
Exami- 
nation 


Number 
Exam- 
ined 


Number 
Gradu- 
ated 


Whole 
Number 
Examined 


Whole 

Number 

Graduated 


Per  Cent 
Gradu- 
ated 


ADMISSIONS 


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A   PRACTICAL  STUDY   OF  ONE   SCHOOL  REPORT      163 

Readers  ask  Questions 

How  questions  are  stimulated  by  published  records  is 
indicated  by  the  report  on  compulsory  attendance  (p.  251  ff.) : 

Table  120.     New  York 

Number  cases  investigated  by  attendance  officers    ....      149,846 
Number  cases  of  truancy  investigated  by  attendance  officers  .       17,120 

What  were  the  other  132,726  cases? 

Number  of  different  individuals  found  to  be  truants    .     .     .  9,263 

Number  found  to  be  non-attendants  and  placed  in  school  .     .  2,289 

Number  found  to  be  truants  and  committed  to  institutions  .     .  157 

Number  found  to  be  truants  and  committed  to  truant  school  .  754 
Number  found  to  be  employed  contrary  to  law  and  returned  to 

school 1,676 

What  became  of  the  4,387  truants  not  accounted  for  in  this 
report  of  cases  disposed  of  ? 

How  many  were  night  school  or  high  school  truants  ?  Why 
were  fines  imposed  on  only  39  out  of  262  parents  arrested  ? 
What  led  to  the  arrest  of  these  only  among  the  parents  of 
9,263?  What  fines  were  paid?  What  was  the  effect  upon 
the  truant  ? 

How  many  days  do  truancy  officers  work?  How  many 
days  are  they  active  before  school  opens?  How  many  days 
after  school  closes  ?  Is  there  any  reason  why  truant  officers 
should  not  work  during  midyear  vacations  ? 

Of  318  parents  brought  to  the  Children's  Court  why  were 
160  dismissed?  Did  their  children  attend  regularly  there- 
after? Does  it  pay  to  take  truancy  cases  to  the  Children's 
Court  ? 

What  was  done  with  656  parents  brought  before  the  city 
magistrates  for  violating  the  compulsory  education  law? 

Explaining  School  Needs 

Needs  are  set  forth  clearly,  pp.  92-98,  in  tables  that  give 
schools   without    kindergartens,    schools   without   shops   or 


164  EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 

kitchens,  schools  having  shops  but  no  kitchens,  schools 
having  kitchens  but  no  shops,  schools  for  girls  only  having 
no  kitchens,  and  schools  for  boys  only  having  no  shops.  This 
admirable  principle  is  not  applied  to  roof  gardens,  gym- 
nasiums, shower  bath,  proper  ventilation,  play  space,  ad- 
justable desks,  or  to  truant  officers.  While  more  vacation 
schools  are  urged,  we  find  only  the  following  general  statement 
that  will  neither  help  nor  inspire  a  school  director  or  a  vol- 
unteer agency  wishing  to  increase  vacation  schools:  ''The 
amount  of  money  required  to  double  the  facilities  of  vacation 
schools  and  playgrounds  would  be  comparatively  small,  while 
the  financial  loss  involved  in  keeping  the  majority  of  our 
school  buildings  closed  and  unused  during  the  summer  is 
enormous."  Nowhere  in  the  report  is  given  a  statement  of 
the  total  cost  of  vacation  schools  now  existing,  hence  it  means 
little  to  say  that  the  "amount  required  to  double"  would 
be  small.  In  connection  with  this  it  is  important  to  point 
out  that  no  appeal  has  been  made  to  the  Board  of  Esti- 
mate and  Apportionment  during  the  spring  months  of  1907 
for  funds  to  increase  the  number  of  vacation  schools,  while 
for  the  year  under  review  the  number  of  schools  was  actually 
reduced  by  ten  from  the  number  voted  by  the  Board  of  Esti- 
mate and  Apportionment,  although  salaries  of  supervising 
officers  were  increased  in  amounts  exceeding  the  amount 
required  to  run  these  additional  schools. 

What  do  Schools  Cost? 

As  to  cost,  the  report  says  (p.  104):  "The  exact  amount 
expended  on  account  of  the  day  schools  .  .  .  cannot  be 
stated  for  the  reason  that  no  separate  accounts  are  kept 
showing  the  amount  expended  for  vacation  schools,  play- 
grounds, and  evening  schools;  for  supplies,  lighting,  fuel, 
repairs,"  etc.  Again,  "The  per  capita  cost  of  a  pupil  in 
the  day  schools  ...  is  really  too  high  because  all  the  amounts 
expended  for  supplies,  fuel,  salaries  of  janitors,  and  incidental 


A  PRACTICAL  STUDY  OF  ONE   SCHOOL  REPORT      165 

expenses  are  charged  against  the  day  schools,  whereas  a  con- 
siderable share  of  these  monies  is  expended  on  evening  schools, 
recreation  centers,  vacation  schools,  and  playgrounds."  The 
cost  of  high  school  instruction  is  not  known  because  (p.  105) 
"the  salaries  of  superintendents,  examiners,  directors,  and 
attendance  officers"  are  charged  to  elementary  schools.  The 
cost  of  evening  schools  is  of  course  not  correct  because  only 
salaries  paid  principals  and  teachers  are  charged.  The 
published  cost  of  vacation  schools  and  playgrounds,  etc., 
includes  teachers'  salaries  only.  It  is  out  of  the  question  to 
learn  the  cost  per  pupil  of  a  special  subject  such  as  cooking, 
sewing,  or  German.  Nowhere  in  the  report  is  set  forth  the 
total  cost  of  any  single  department.  New  York  has  two 
funds,  a  general  fund  raised  by  a  3-mill  tax  made  compulsory 
by  the  charter  for  paying  salaries.  So  on  pp.  loi  and  102 
appear  salary  disbursements  of  teachers  and  principals  under 
twelve  different  headings.  In  addition  to  this  salary  fund  the 
schools  also  have  a  large  appropriation  for  supplies,  repairs, 
fuel,  salaries  of  janitors,  etc.  This  report  does  not  bring 
together  those  two  costs.  Significant  administrative  items 
are  not  kept  distinct,  but  are  jumbled  up  with  other  items. 
For  example,  salaries  of  substitutes  are  included  in  salaries 
of  regular  teachers.  This  is  proper  unless  the  school  authori- 
ties wish  to  know  how  much  the  substitute  teachers  cost. 
If  it  is  true  that  the  employment  of  substitutes  is  occasioned 
by  sickness  or  leave  of  absence  on  the  part  of  regular  teachers 
or  lack  of  applications  from  teachers  suitable  for  permanent 
positions,  it  would  seem  that  the  cost  of  substitutes  would 
answer  important  administrative  questions.  The  cost  of 
superintendence  is  not  totaled  or  distributed.  The  number 
of  pupils  in  corporate  schools  which  receive  $282,000  subsidy 
is  not  given.  "Miscellaneous"  includes  annuities  of  retired 
teachers,  and  amounts  to  $614,000,  —  a  rather  large  un- 
classified total.  Neither  percentages  nor  subtraction  are 
used  to  indicate  the  change  from  last  year,  increase  or  decrease 


l66  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

in  various  branches  of  expenditure,  etc.  The  superintendent 
of  supplies,  by  a  very  few  simple  changes  in  business  meth- 
ods, has  been  able  during  the  last  two  or  three  years  to  save 
several  hundred  thousand  dollars  while  increasing  efficiency. 
So  large  and  prompt  were  the  economies  and  so  convincing  the 
sub-committee's  argument  in  favor  of  improved  methods  of 
accounting  and  reporting  throughout  the  school  system,  that 
in  February,  1906,  the  Board  declared  in  favor  of  a  modern 
system  of  account  and  record  and  took  certain  first  steps  to 
insure  such  system.  Unfortunately  this  change  was  not 
at  first  welcomed  by  those  immediately  responsible,  and  its 
logical  development  was  not  insisted  upon  by  the  directors. 
But  the  results  of  a  partial  test  have  been  notable  and  con- 
vincing ;  extension  is  inevitable. 

Reasoning  from  Fact 

Where  business  methods  are  lacking,  reasoning  is  likely 
to  be  illogical  and  inconsequential.  For  example,  the  para- 
graph that  introduces  the  financial  statements  (pp.  100  ff.) 
reads : 

"  The  amount  expended  for  supplies  .  .  .  shows  surprisingly  vary- 
ing rates  of  increase  and  decrease.  In  1899-1900  there  was  a  decrease 
of  3.6  per  cent. ;  in  the  following  year  there  was  an  increase  of  13.6  per 
cent.;  in  the  next  year  a  decrease  of  11. i  per  cent.;  in  the  next  year 
an  increase  of  19.2  per  cent. ;  in  1904-5  there  was  again  a  decrease  of 
8.5  per  cent.,  while  last  year  there  was  a  decrease  of  12.5  per  cent. 
The  first,  if  not  the  only,  conclusion  to  be  drawn  from  these  figures  is 
that  an  enforced  and  probably  unwise  economy  in  any  one  year 
necessitates  a  greatly  increased  expenditure  the  following  year.  Alter- 
nate famine  and  profusion  in  the  matter  of  school  supplies  is  a  bad 
thing  for  the  schools  and  their  pupils.  The  very  possibility  of  such  an 
alternation  shows  the  necessity  of  having  a  stable  income  for  our  special 
fund  as  we  have  under  the  law  a  stable  income  for  our  general  fund." 

Entirely  different  conclusions  are  possible  from  the  fore- 
going figures.     The    accounting   method   of    learning    the 


A  PRACTICAL  STUDY   OF   ONE  SCHOOL  REPORT       167 

significance  of  alternate  increase  and  decrease  in  a  sup- 
ply appropriation  would  begin  with  questions  somewhat  as 
follows:  Are  the  increase  and  decrease  due  to  the  fact  that 
goods  were  bought  and  paid  for  in  one  year  and  not  used  until 
the  next  year?  If  the  distribution  of  supplies  is  sufficiently 
controlled,  how  can  going  without  supplies  one  year  *'  necessi- 
tate a  greatly  increased  expenditure  next  year"?  Whether 
the  schools  suffer  in  lean  years  and  in  what  way  the  report 
does  not  state.  That  supplies  were  wasted  in  fat  years  the 
report  seems  to  admit  but  does  not  prove.  Whether  supplies 
were  evenly  distributed  per  capita  over  lean  and  fat  years 
would  be  shown  by  a  proper  supply  account.  The  per- 
centage increase  and  decrease  are  based  upon  changes  in 
cash  payments,  but  have  no  necessary  relation  whatever  to 
changes  in  the  goods  consumed  by  school  children.  The 
supply  account  should  tell  of  pencils  and  papers  and  desks 
given  out  during  a  school  year.  Without  such  record  of  goods 
consumed  no  board  can  tell  whether  changes  in  cash  dis- 
bursed for  supplies  mean  "unwise  economy"  and  "alternate 
famine  and  profusion." 

Why  Children  drop  Out 

High  school  mortality  is  explained  not  by  facts  gathered, 
as  in  Detroit,  but  by  a  priori  reasoning.  Detroit  says  119 
first-year  pupils  dropped  out  of  high  school: 

Table  121.    Detroit 

Because  of  illness 23 

Because  of  illness  in  the  family 4 

Because  of  failing  sight 2 

Because  of  work 41 

Transferred 6 

Left  city 10 

Indifference  to  school 9 

Music I 

Cause  unknown 23 

119 


1 68  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

The  New  York  report  accounts  for  the  dropping  out  of 
one  third  the  pupils  in  the  city's  high  schools  as  follows: 

"Undoubtedly  the  chief  cause  is  that  many  leave  to  go  to  work. 
Probably  in  the  majority  of  such  cases  the  necessity  of  earning  money 
is  the  controlling  motive.  Such  students  generally  take  supplementary 
courses  in  the  evening  high  schools.  Others  .  .  .  leave  .  .  .  because  of 
that  restlessness  of  mind  that  comes  to  all  students  at  the  period  of 
adolescence  and  which  is  particularly  marked  amid  the  excitements  of 
a  large  city." 

The  report  continues  without  data  that  in  other  cities 
at  least  it  does  not  seem  impossible  to  obtain. 

"The  following  explanations  are  approximately  true:  i.  Children 
leave  school  because  they  have  not  the  natural  ability  to  cope  with 
high  school  studies.  The  number  of  such  children  is,  in  my  judg- 
ment, small. 

2.  Children  are  withdrawn  from  high  school  by  their  parents  because 
the  latter  fear  that  their  children's  health  will  be  injured  by  what  they 
regard  as  the  excessive  amount  of  home  study  required  by  some  teachers. 

3.  Children  leave  high  school  because  they  are  bewildered  for  a  time 
and  sometimes  scared  by  a  school  atmosphere  very  different  from  the 
atmosphere  of  the  elementary  school  which  they  left  —  an  atmosphere 
in  which  the  teacher  stands  more  aloof  and  in  which  the  pupil  is  thrown 
more  on  his  own  resources. 

4.  A  few  pupils  leave  before  graduation  because  they  find  that  there 
are  colleges  which  will  receive  them,  despite  their  slender  academic 
attainments,  into  the  freshman  class." 

School  Census 

The  census  blank,  if  properly  used  after  being  filled  out, 
could  have  thrown  much  needed  light  upon  school  ques- 
tions. 


A   PRACTICAL  STUDY   OF   ONE   SCHOOL  REPORT      169 


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1 70  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

One  can  see  how  easy  it  is  to  fill  in  the  facts  so  that  any  one 
using  the  foregoing  blank  can  locate  the  child  and  classify 
any  particular  set  of  facts.  For  example,  the  children  ille- 
gally out  of  school  and  physically  unable  to  attend  school 
were  referred  promptly  to  the  Attendance  Department  for 
visit  and  proper  attention.  With  such  a  card  it  would  be 
equally  easy  to  take  the  steps  suggested  in  Chapter  V  for 
making  a  permanent  useful  register.  If,  however,  no  attempt 
is  made  to  verify  the  census,  if  its  results  are  not  to  be  com- 
pared district  by  district  with  school  records,  this  card  is, 
of  course,  little  better  than  the  old  census  book. 

The  benefits  resulting  from  New  York's  last  census  fully 
justified  the  expense  involved.  It  found  9,799  children 
illegally  at  work  and  6,41 1  others  illegally  detained  at  home. 
Visits  of  the  police  when  taking  the  census  and  the  subse- 
quent efforts  of  the  Attendance  Department  secured  the  return 
of  many  of  these  absentees  to  school.  The  listing  of  217 
crippled,  1,448  deaf  and  dumb,  and  84  blind  made  it  possible 
first  to  learn  their  location  and  home  condition  and  later  to 
devise  plans  for  their  care  and  instruction.  The  fact  that  the 
police  were  careless  in  their  methods,  that  they  passed  by 
many  hundred  crippled  and  blind,  that  they  apparently 
failed  to  find  several  thousand  children  actually  registered 
in  school  and  several  thousand  others  illegally  working  or 
detained  at  home,  by  no  means  proves  the  census  a  failure. 
After  the  census  a  number  of  agencies  interested  in  the 
school  child  petitioned  for  the  proper  classification  and 
continued  use  of  census  data,  and  said  that  it  was  worth 
many  times  what  the  census  cost  "to  discover  16,210  chil- 
dren illegally  deprived  of  the  education  to  which  they  are 
entitled  and  which  for  its  own  good  the  city  insists  upon 
their  having."  Of  even  greater  importance,  if  properly 
used,  was  the  knowledge  that  many  thousands  of  children 
were  counted  on  the  registers  of  two  schools  and  that  as  a 
consequence  the  per  capita  cost  of  education  is  understated. 


A   PRACTICAL   STUDY   OF  ONE   SCHOOL   REPORT      171 

The  follow-up  work  has,  however,  not  been  done ;  the  census 
records  are  buried  in  the  store-room,  and  another  great 
opportunity  has  been  lost  to  save  nine  stitches  by  taking 
one  in  time,  to  help  the  cause  of  education  by  locating  more 
clearly  its  problems. 

Physical  Needs  of  Children 

Can  school  records  help  us  decide  whether  the  physical 
defects  of  school  children  shall  be  remedied  or  corrected  by 
free  school  lunches,  free  eyeglasses,  and  material  relief  at 
school,  or  by  education,  food,  eyeglasses,  and  relief  at  home? 
Shall  matters  involving  enormous  expense  and  important 
tendencies  be  decided  by  guesses,  impulses,  popular  vote,  — 
or  by  analysis  of  fact?  At  first  free  lunches  were  recom- 
mended, and  then  in  this  last  report  lunches  at  cost  and  free 
eyeglasses.  No  facts  have  been  presented  justifying  such 
free  distribution  except  the  fact,  which  is  significant  to  many, 
that  European  cities  have  tried  to  cure  the  evils  of  poverty 
and  non-employment  by  giving  things  away  to  school  chil- 
dren. The  New  York  report  offers  no  evidence  in  support 
of  relief  at  school  other  than  belief. 

Perhaps  no  part  of  the  report  under  review  indicates  more 
clearly  the  importance  of  classified  information  than  Appen- 
dix R  (p.  441) :  The  Medical  Inspection  and  Examination 
of  School  Children  during  1906,  This  report  offered  splendid 
opportunity  to  disclose  social  conditions  and  social  needs; 
to  prove  the  advantage  that  is  immediately  resulting  from 
the  correction  of  physical  defects;  to  show  in  how  many 
instances  parents  and  teachers  have  failed  to  remove  those 
defects;  to  point  out  the  districts  and  the  schools  hitherto 
denied  the  benefits  of  physical  examination  and  to  plead  for 
money  enough  to  give  such  benefits  to  all  children  in  all 
schools  in  all  boroughs.  It  is  probably  because  such  infor- 
mation is  lacking  that  the  recommendations  of   the  super- 


172 


EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 


intendent  did  not  include  a  request  for  additional  inspectors 
or  nurses  for  the  examination  of  children  and  the  education 
of  their  parents.  At  a  critical  time  when  the  fiscal  authorities 
of  the  city  had  become  thoroughly  interested  in  the  possi- 
bility of  saving  millions  in  the  future  by  extending  this  health 
protection  over  all  districts,  the  official  report  of  the  schools 
came  out  and  did  not  even  suggest  that  more  money  was 
needed  for  discovering  the  pupils  needing  attention  and  for 
insuring  such  attention.  The  Board  of  Health  has  taken 
steps  to  supply  such  information  next  year  as  per  the  follow- 
ing forms : 

Table  123.     New  York  Board  of  Health 

MEDICAL    INSPECTION    OF    SCHOOL    CHILDREN    FOR 
CONTAGIOUS  DISEASES,    1906 


a 


Field  of  Inspection 
Total  number  of  public  schools   .     . 

Registration 

Public  schools  under  inspection   .     . 

Registration 

Other  schools  under  inspection    .     . 

Registration 

Total  schools  under  inspection     .     . 
Total  registration  of  schools  under 

inspection 

Schools  in  which  there  are  nurses 
Registration 

Visits  to  Schools 

By  inspectors  to  public  schools 
By  inspectors  to  other  schools 
Average  per  school  per  year    . 

Public  schools 

Other  schools 


A  PRACTICAL  STUDY   OF   ONE   SCHOOL  REPORT      173 


MEDICAL    INSPECTION    OF    SCHOOL    CHILDREN    FOR 
CONTAGIOUS    DISEASES,    igo6  —  (Continued) 


Examinations 

"Morning"  examinations  of  chil- 
dren by  inspectors* 

General  communicable  diseases 
found 

"Routine"  examinations  by  in- 
spectors!       

Cases  found,  eye  and  skin  diseases 

"Routine"  examinations  bynursesf 

Cases  found,  eye  and  skin  diseases 

Special  "routine"  examinations  by 
inspectors  for  trachoma  .... 

Cases  found 

Total  general  communicable  dis- 
eases found  in  schools     .... 

Total  cases  found  in  schools,  eye 
and  skin  diseases 

Visits  to  Homes 

By  inspectors 

By  nurses 


0 

>< 

0 
0 

n 

a 

1 

*  In  "  morning  "  examinations,  the  inspectors  examine  the  children  re- 
ferred to  them  by  teachers  or  nurses  as  suspected  cases,  or  children  return- 
ing to  school  after  absence  on  account  of  sickness. 

t  "  Routine  "  examinations  are  made  by  nurses  in  schools  where  there 
are  nurses,  otherwise  by  inspectors.  The  entire  class  is  examined  to  dis- 
cover any  cases  of  skin  and  eye  diseases  except  trachoma,  for  which  a  spe- 
cial "  routine  "  examination  is  made  by  inspectors  only. 


174 


EDUCATIONAL   STATISTICS 


Table  124.    New  York  Board  or  Health 

MEDICAL  EXAMINATION  OF  SCHOOL  CHILDREN:  NON- 
CONTAGIOUS PHYSICAL  DEFECTS  FOUND  AND 
TREATED,   1906 


NEW  YORK 

MANHATTAN 

Found 

Reported 
Treated 

Found 

Reported 
Treated 

Defects 

No. 

a, 

No. 

0-0 
U-.  a 
0  3 
^  0 

<"   in 

No. 

■5 
0 
H 

'°  in 

No. 

0^ 
^  a 
0  3 

a! 

Adenoids 

Defective  vision  .     .     . 

Defective  hearing     .     . 

Bad  nutrition       .     .     . 

Diseased  anterior  cervi- 
cal glands    .... 

Diseased  posterior  cervi- 
cal glands   .... 

Chorea 

Heart  disease       .     .     . 

Pulmonary  disease   .     . 

Skin  disease    .... 

Deformity  of  spine  .     . 

Deformity  of  chest   .     . 

Deformity  of  extremi- 
ties      

Nasal  breathing  .     .     . 

Defective  teeth    .     .     . 

Defective  palate  .     .     . 

Hypertrophied  tonsils  . 

Defective  mentality     . 

Total 

A  PRACTICAL  STUDY   OF   ONE  SCHOOL  REPORT      175 

Table  125.    New  York  Board  of  Health 

PROMOTIONS  AMONG  CHILDREN  TREATED  AND  NOT 
TREATED   FOR  ADENOIDS,    1906 

(Selected  list  of  schools) 


During  First  Half  of  Term 


Found  needing 
Treatment 


T>^„„  ^^A  T-^ot^j      Not  known  to  be 
Reported  Treated  Treated 


School  Number 
School  Number 
School  Number 


TREATED 

NOT  TREATED 

Promoted 

Not 
Promoted 

Discon- 
tinued 

Promoted 

Not 
Promoted 

Discon- 

No. 

Per 
Cent 

No. 

Per 
Cent 

No. 

Per 
Cent 

No. 

Per 
Cent 

tinued 

School  Number  .     .    . 

School  Number .    .    . 

School  Number .    .    . 

Table  126.    New  York  Board  of  Health 

NATIONALITY  OF  SCHOOL  CHILDREN  NEEDING  TREAT- 
MENT,  1906 


Children  found  needing  treatment    . 

Native  bom 

Foreign  born 

Percentage  foreign  born  .... 
One  or  both  parents  foreign  born 
Percentage  of  total 


New 
York 


Man- 
hattan 


Bronx 


Brook- 
lyn 


Queens 


Rich- 
mond 


Comparing  City  with  City 

As  to  educational  results  no  tables  are  given  to  compare 
New  York  with  other  cities  and  few  tables  to  compare  one 
year  in  New  York  with  preceding  years. 


176  educational  statistics 

Circulating  School  Facts 

The  circulation  of  a  school  report,  like  that  of  any  other 
document,  will  influence  its  character.  Writers  and  speakers 
unconsciously  respond  to  their  audience.  Two  years  ago 
the  New  York  Board  of  Education  was  urged  to  place  copies 
of  the  superintendent's  report  in  the  hands  of  all  teachers 
on  the  ground  that  more  earnest  and  more  intelligent  work 
would  result.  It  was  decided  that  it  would  cost  too  much 
to  address  in  this  way  15,000  teachers,  inviting  their  criticism, 
experiences,  and  constructive  suggestions.  When,  however, 
the  cost  of  reprints  is  compared  with  the  $36,000,000  spent 
last  year,  it  would  seem  a  small  price  to  pay  for  enlisting  the 
intelligent  sympathy  of  the  teaching  staff.  In  cities  where 
the  expense  of  sending  the  complete  report  to  all  teachers 
seems  prohibitive,  it  is  at  least  worth  while  to  consider  the 
advisability  and  ultimate  economy  of  printing  a  brief  digest 
of  the  extended  report  so  that  no  teacher  shall  be  without  this 
condensed  message  from  her  superior  officer.  If  the  super- 
intendent of  schools  sees  before  him  his  principals  and 
teachers,  he  will  be  cautious  about  making  statements  that 
their  daily  experience  disproves.  He  will  try  to  be  as  logical, 
as  convincing,  as  inspiring,  as  professional,  as  they  expect 
him  to  be.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  addresses  commissioners 
whom  he  does  not  expect  to  read  his  report,  and  an  exchange 
list  to  whom  his  recommendations  will  not  be  vital,  he  will 
not  feel  bound  to  live  up  to  a  high  pedagogical  or  literary 
standard.  Any  superintendent  aiming  to  secure  public 
support  of  a  progressive  school  policy  will  advance  that 
policy  by  insisting  upon  a  general  circulation  of  his  report 
and  upon  writing  up  to  that  circulation.  In  New  York  City 
one  evening  newspaper  is  recognized  as  the  unofficial  organ 
of  the  Board  of  Education  and  of  the  teaching  world.  Nat- 
urally, therefore,  other  papers  give  little  or  no  attention  to 
many  important  items  of  school  news,  and  as  a  consequence 


A  PRACTICAL  STUDY   OF  ONE  SCHOOL  REPORT      177 

a  large  part  of  the  reading  public  is  ill-informed  as  to  poli- 
cies that  have  been  freely  discussed  in  this  one  newspaper. 
It  is  worth  serious  consideration  on  the  part  of  superin- 
tendents in  other  cities  and  of  state  superintendents  of 
schools,  whether  in  the  long  run  it  is  not  to  the  advantage  of 
public  education  to  enlist  the  interest  and  cooperation  of  all 
newspapers,  to  use  every  occasion  for  placing  before  parents, 
taxpayers,  and  city  officials  significant  facts  with  regard  to 
school  progress  and  school  needs. 

Outside  Criticism 

Because  the  highest  purpose  of  a  school  report  is  to 
educate  the  community  whose  school  work  it  describes,  it 
is  important  to  determine  the  attitude  of  a  school  report 
toward  inquiring  citizens.  It  is  not  necessary  that  every 
report  should  apostrophize  the  interested  volunteer.  It  is 
desirable,  however,  that  every  report  tell  volunteers  what 
they  can  do  next  year  to  help  the  schools ;  what  school  prob- 
lems remain  unsolved;  what  change  in  public  sentiment  or 
what  increase  in  public  support  is  needed.  The  New  York 
report  repeatedly  recognizes  the  need  for  outside  intelligence 
as  to  inside  movements.  On  p.  121  the  superintendent 
appeals  for  more  vacation  schools,  public  baths,  gardens,  etc., 
which, 

"affording  as  they  do,  congenial  employment,  wholesome  recreation, 
and  (to  a  limited  extent)  means  of  cleanliness,  have  become  the  most 
effective  means  (outside  of  the  regular  day  schools)  of  promoting  the 
mental,  moral,  and  physical  vi^elfare  of  the  children  in  the  poorer  neigh- 
borhoods of  the  city.  More  money  is  needed  for  their  maintenance.  I 
firmly  believe  that  every  thoughtful  citizen,  who  examines  the  results  of 
these  activities,  will  join  with  the  Board  of  Education  in  asking  the 
Board  of  Estimate  and  Apportionment  to  be  more  liberal  in  the  future 
in  providing  for  the  support  of  vacation  schools  and  playgrounds." 

It  is  unfortunate  for  the  thoughtful  person  who  looks  for 
results  that  the  phrase  "to  a  limited  extent"  must  take  the 
place  of  a  clear  statement  of  the  schools  lacking  public  baths 
and  of  poorer  neighborhoods  lacking  vacation  schools.     His 


1 78  EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS 

efforts  would  have  been  more  easily  enlisted  if  the  number 
of  children  without  bathing  facilities  had  been  stated,  and  if 
the  number  enjoying  such  facilities  had  not  been  confused 
by  counting  haths  given  as  individual  bathers. 

The  summary  of  recommendations  (p.  133  ff.)  contains  13 
propositions,  8  of  which  could  not  be  put  into  effect  without 
general  pubHc  cooperation,  and  all  of  which  require  for  their 
successful  execution  a  public  informed  as  to  school  needs  and 
school  results.  These  recommendations  are  so  worded  as 
to  appeal  to  public  sympathy.  All  of  them  assume  school 
experience  that  can  be  described  with  such  definiteness  as  to 
place  beyond  controversy  the  facts  themselves,  leaving  open 
to  controversy  or  difference  of  opinion  only  the  interpreta- 
tion of  those  facts  and  the  remedies  proposed. 

The  resuhs  that  may  be  expected  from  the  repeated  ap- 
peal of  school  reports  to  community  intelligence  are  nowhere 
better  outlined  than  in  the  closing  paragraph  (p.  132)  of 
the  Report  of  the  City  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  1905  : 

"Nor  are  city  agencies  the  only  ones  aiding  the  schools. 
The  Public  Schools  Athletic  League,  of  the  work  of  which 
an  account  will  be  found  in  Appendix  G,  is  doing  invaluable 
work  in  stimulating  through  early  development  a  generation 
of  strong-limbed,  clean-minded,  manly  youths.  The  Public 
Education  Association,  too,  in  a  pedagogical  way,  is  giving 
the  schools  the  benefit  of  the  watchful,  outside  criticism  of 
high  citizenship.  The  great  universities  are  lavish  in  the  pro- 
vision of  courses  in  art,  science,  and  literature,  for  teachers. 
Yet  I  feel  that  these  are  but  beginnings,  and  I  look  forward 
with  earnest  hopefulness  to  the  day  when  every  educational 
agency,  civic  or  endowed,  will  not  feel  its  duty  done  until  it 
contributes  freely  of  its  resources  to  the  advancement  and 
benefit  of  the  great  American  and  Americanizing  institution 
of  free  education." 


INDEX 


Adenoids,  inspection  of  children  for, 
174;  promotions  among  children 
treated  and  not  treated  for  (New 
York,   1906),   175. 

Age  of  pupils,  statistics  of,  in  reports,  58- 
63,  1 20 ;  facts  relating  to,  which  might 
be  included,  63;  in  attendance  at 
evening  schools,  92,  93;  double  distri- 
bution table  of  grade  and,  132;  table 
showing  relation  between,  and  attend- 
ance at  evening  high  school,  134. 

Alphabetical  topical  index  suggested 
for  reports,   153. 

Attendance,  reports  showing,  32;  part- 
time,  50;  statistics  of,  in  reports, 
52-57;  persistency  of  ("survival"), 
69-78;  the  matter  of  compulsory, 
79,  123-124;  statistics  of  compul- 
sory, in  tables,  79-83;  decline  in,  at 
high  schools,  shown  in  school  reports, 
86-89;  statistics  of,  at  evening 
schools,  in  reports,  90-95,  125;  per- 
sistency of,  at  evening  schools,  91-92, 
93,  125;  questions  answered  and  un- 
answered regarding,  in  reports,  121- 
122;  records  of,  and  age  distribution, 
134;  statistics  which  might  be  of 
value  concerning  compulsory,  141. 

Attendance  department,  record  cards 
for  use  of,  146-150. 

Averages,  misleading  by,  1 61-162. 

Baltimore,  system  of  promotion  in,  68; 
illustrative  table  from  school  report 
of,  69. 

Baths,  statistics  of  public  school,  given 
in  reports,  98,  177-178. 

Boards,  school,  character  and  quality  of 
members  of,  5. 

Boston,  early  school  report  of  (1857), 
13-14;  illustrative  tables  from  re- 
ports of,  53,  60-61,  64,  73,  105. 

Brookline,  Mass.,  tables  from  reports 
of,  37.  39- 


Brooklyn,  first  school  report  published 
in  (1854),  12;  illustrative  table  from 
report  of,  66. 

Brown,  Elmer  E.,  Commissioner  of 
Education,  26. 

Buffalo,  tables  from  reports  of,  31,  42, 
44,  82,  88-89,  94. 

Buildings,  reports  including  list  and 
description  of,  29,  30;  reports  show- 
ing cost  of,  23-     S^^  Plant. 

Cambridge,  Mass.,  illustrative  table 
from  report  of,  45-46,  96. 

Card  records,  131-132,  143-150. 

Census,  the  school,  objects  and  uses  of, 
45;  illustrative  tables,  45-52;  a 
common  defect  of,  49;  use  of  card 
records  in,  143-150;  use  of,  in  speci- 
men New  York  report,  168-171. 

Chicago,  first  school  report  published 
in  (1853),  12;  an  early  school 
report  of,  13;  illustrative  tables  from 
reports  of,  42-43,  52,  58,  67,  87-88, 
91,  92,  loi,  106. 

Children  employed,  census  statistics  of 
(Philadelphia),  47. 

Children  to  be  educated,  questions 
answered  and  unanswered  regard- 
ing, in  reports,  1 20-1 21. 

Cincinnati,  tables  from  reports  of,  35, 
40,  47,  68. 

Classification,  of  statistics,  138-143; 
of  totals  in  giving  statistics,  159- 
160. 

Class  rooms,  reports  giving  statistics 
as  to,  32;  questions  regarding,  to  be 
answered  in  reports,  119. 

Cleveland,  first  school  report  published 
in,  12;  an  early  school  report  of,  13; 
tables  from  reports  of,  36,  57. 

Committees,  school,  character  and 
quality  of  members  of,  5. 

Comparison  of  school  with  school, 
table  for,  162. 


179 


i8o 


INDEX 


Compulsory   attendance,    79-83,    123- 

124,  141. 
Condensation  in  reports,  154. 
Connecticut,     illustrative    table    from 

state  report  of,  44;    plan  of  ranking 

superintendents  in,  161. 
Cost,  statistics  of,  of  evening  schools,  95. 
Cost    of    education,    reports    showing, 

34-45- 

Cost  of  school  buildings,  reports  show- 
ing. 33- 

Cost  of  schools,  according  to  New  York 
City  report,  164-166. 

Deportment,  classification  of  statistics 

relating  to,  140. 
Detroit,  illustrative  tables  from  reports 

of,  29,  30,  38,  68,   75,  77,  78,   167; 

high  school  mortaUty  in,  167. 
Diseases,  medical  inspection  for,   loi- 

103,  126-127,  171-175. 
Distance  from  school  and   persistency 

of     attendance,     relation     between, 

shown  in  register,  134. 
District  of  Columbia,  tables  from  re- 
ports of,  51,  76. 
Districts,  uniformity  in  reports  of,  160- 

161. 
Divoll,  Ira,  17. 

Dropping  out.     See  MortaUty. 
Duluth,  table  from  report  of,  107-108. 

Eaton,  John,  21. 

Economies  in  preparing  reports:  first, 
data  to  be  collected,  128-129; 
second,  methods  of  collecting  sta- 
tistics, 129-134;  third,  regarding 
publication  of  statistical  tables  in 
school  reports,  134-135. 

Editing  of  reports,  153. 

Education,    reports    showing    cost    of, 

34-45- 

Elementary  schools,  statistics  of  teachers 
in,  106. 

Employment  of  children  between  13 
and  16  years  old,  statistics  of,  47. 

Enrollment,  questions  as  to,  answered 
and  unanswered  in  reports,  121-122. 

Erie,  Pa.,  illustrative  tables  from  re- 
ports of,  106,  113. 

Evening  schools,  statistics  of,  in  re- 
ports, 90-95;  questions  as  to,  an- 
swered and  unanswered  in  reports, 

125- 
Examinations,   medical,    101-103,   126- 
127,  171-175. 


Expenditures  on  schools,  comparison 
of,  in  tabular  form,  35-38;  report  of 
receipts  and,  110-112;  questions 
answered  and  left  unanswered  regard- 
ing receipts  and,  1 19-120;  possibil- 
ity of  schemes  of  classification  regard- 
ing, 138;  treatment  of,  in  specimen 
report,  164-167. 

Eyeglasses,  free,  viii,  x,  171. 

Financial  administration  of  schools, 
suggested  improvement  in,  136-139. 
See  Expenditures. 

Free  meals,  eyeglasses,  etc.,  viii,  x,  171. 

Fuel  consumption,  statistics  of,  137-138. 

Gove,  Mr.,  on  school  statistics,  24. 
Grand  Rapids,  illustrative  tables  from 

reports  of,  83,  109,  114. 
Greenwood,  Superintendent,  of  Kansas 

City,  25. 

Harris,  Commissioner,  report  of,  on 
school  statistics,   25. 

Health,  classification  of  statistics  relat- 
ing to,  139.     See  Medical  inspection. 

High  school  buildings,  statistics  of 
cost  of,  in  school  report,  33. 

High  schools,  number  of  graduates 
from  grades  who  enter,  75;  persist- 
ency of  attendance  at,  76-78;  sta- 
tistics of,  in  reports,  83-90. 

Home  Conditions,  Report  on,  of  1400 
Families,  etc.,  x,  141. 

Homes,  classification  of  statistics  re- 
garding conditions  in,  140-141. 

Index,  alphabetical  topical,  suggested 
for  reports,  153. 

Individual,  records  giving  facts  regard- 
ing the,  142-143. 

Interpretation  of  statistics,  6,  136. 

Kansas  City,  illustrative  table  from 
school  report  of,  110-112. 

Libraries,  statistics  of  school,  given  in 

report,  98-100. 
Lunches,  free,  viii,  171. 

McMillan,  Andrew,  quoted  on  lack  of 
uniformity  in  presenting  statistics, 
22-23. 

Maintenance  of  schools,  report  showing 
cost  of,  38. 


INDEX 


l8l 


Map  of  school  districts,  155-156. 

Medical  inspection  of  schools,  x;  re- 
ports of,  101-103,  171-175;  ques- 
tions as  to,  answered  and  unan- 
swered in  reports,  126-127. 

Milwaukee,  illustrative  tables  from 
school  reports  of,  49,  63,  79. 

Moral  character,  classification  of  sta- 
tistics relating  to,  140. 

Morning  examinations  of  children,  173. 

Mortality,  grade,  69-78;  high  school, 
167-168. 

National  Educational  Association,  18; 
efforts  of,  to  improve  school  reports 
and  to  secure  uniformity,  20-27. 

NationaUty  of  children  needing  medi- 
cal treatment  (New  York,  1906),  175. 

Needs  of  schools,  explanation  of,  163- 
164. 

Newark,  illustrative  tables  from  re- 
ports of,  32,  51,  54,  97,  105. 

New  Haven,  first  school  report  of  (1857), 
13;  illustrative  tables  from  reports  of, 
32.  33.  41,  84-85. 

New  Orleans,  illustrative  tables  from 
reports  of,  65-66,  100. 

New  York  Board  of  Health,  tables  of 
medical  inspection  of  schools,  172- 

175- 
New  York  City,  first  school  report 
pubUshed  in  (1843),  12;  description 
of  8th  report  of  (1850),  17-18;  il- 
lustrative tables  from  reports  of,  33, 
50,  59,  62,  66,  75,  78,  80-81,  85,  96, 
97-98,  99,  102-103,  154-155,  156- 
157,  163,  169;  important  questions 
unanswered  in  reports  of,  1 18-127; 
a  practical  study  of  one  report  of, 
151-178;  school  tax  of,  152. 

Omaha,  illustrative  table  from  school 
report  of,  55. 

Parental  schools,  statistics  involving,  in 

school  reports,  79-83. 
Part-time  attendance,  statistics  of,  50- 

52. 
Paterson,  illustrative  table  from  report 

of,  100. 
Pawtucket,     illustrative     table     from 

report  of,  104. 
Per  capita  cost  of  schools  shown   in 

tables  in  school  report,  42-43. 
Persistency  of  attendance  ("survival"), 

statistics  of,  in  school  reports,  69-78; 


at  evening  schools,  91-92,  93;  statis- 
tics of,  in  school  register,  134. 

Philadelphia,  first  school  report  pub- 
hshed  in  (1818),  12;  an  early  school 
report  of,  13;  illustrative  tables  from 
reports  of,  46-47,  71,  93. 

Physical  needs  of  children,  1 71-172. 

Physical  record  of  schools,  report  of, 
102-103. 

Pittsburg,  illustrative  table  from  report 
of,  56. 

Plant,  the  school,  specimen  forms  of 
report  on,  29-33;  certain  important 
questions  regarding,  118-119. 

Playgrounds,  statistics  of,  in  reports, 
97-98;  questions  as  to,  answered 
and  unanswered  in  reports,  126,  164, 

177- 

Primary  schools,  statistics  of  promo- 
tions in,  in  school  report,  64. 

Promotions,  statistics  of,  in  reports, 
63-69,  87-88;  statistics  which  would 
be  of  value  concerning,  141-142; 
among  children  treated  and  not 
treated  for  adenoids,  175. 

Publication  of  reports,  question  of,  129. 

Publicity  the  primary  standard  for 
school  reports,  8,  176-178. 

Pupils,  age  of,  given  in  school  reports, 
58-63;  dropping  out  of,  69-78,  167- 


Questions,  answered  and  unanswered 
in  reports,  1 18-127,  177-178;  asked 
by  readers  of  reports,  163. 

Reading,  Pa.,  illustrative  table  from 
school  report  of,  103-104. 

Real  estate,  reports  including  valua- 
tion of,  29. 

Recapitulation  form  used  in  report, 
107-108. 

Receipts  and  expenditures,  report  of, 
110-112;  questions  answered  and 
left  unanswered  regarding,  119-120. 

Record  cards,  131-132,  143-145;  as 
used  by  attendance  department,  146- 

150- 
Registers  for  entering  data,  130-134. 
Repetition,    avoidance    of,    in    reports, 

154- 
Reporting,    uniform    basis    of    district, 

1 60-1 61. 
Reports.     See  School  reports. 
Rochester,    N.Y.,    first    school    report 

published  in  (1843),  12;   description 


l82 


INDEX 


of  earliest  school  report  of,  available 

(1872),  15-16. 
Roof  playgrounds,  statistics  of,  97-9S. 
Routine  examinations  of  children,  173. 

St.  Louis,  first  school  report  published 
in  (1854),  12;  statistical  features  of 
i6th  school  report  of  (1870),  and  dis- 
cussion of  by  superintendent,  16- 
17;  illustrative  tables  from  reports 
of,  53.  56,  61,  62,  70,  74,  91,  95,  105, 

"5- 
Salary  schedules  of  teachers  in  reports, 

105-106. 

San  Francisco,  first  school  report  pub- 
lished in  (1853),  12;  description  of 
earliest  report  of,  available  (1867),  14. 

School  census,  145-150,  168-171. 

School  needs,  explanation  of,  in  reports, 
163-164. 

School  plant,  forms  of  report  on,  29-33 ; 
questions  to  be  answered  regarding, 
118-119. 

School  property,  reports  including 
description  of,  30. 

School  reports,  typical,  1-2;  causes  of 
present  form  of,  2-3;  statistical 
tables  in,  3;  analysis  of  aims  sub- 
served by,  3-5;  distinction  between 
administrative  and  pubHshed,  6-8; 
effective  publicity  the  primary  stand- 
ard for,  8, 1 76  ff. ;  progress  of,  in  direc- 
tion of  publicity  and  administrative 
control,  8-9 ;  points  in  which  lacking, 
9;  possibility  of  accomplishing  more 
in  educational  statistics  at  smaller 
cost  of  time  and  money,  9-10;  begin- 
nings of,  1 1 ;  first  publication  of,  in  dif- 
ferent cities,  12;  character  of  early, 
12-18;  sUght  advance  in,  since  1870, 
18-19;  lack  of  uniformity  in,  in  pre- 
senting educational  statistics,  18-19; 
efforts  of  National  Educational  Asso- 
ciation to  improve  and  to  secure  uni- 
formity in,  20-27;  tables  showing 
methods  used  in  (1901-1906),  28- 
115;  lack  of  excellence  in  statistics 
in,  116;  poor  systems  of  comparison 
and  classification  in,  11 6-1 17;  lack 
of  economy  in,  117 ;  vital  elements  to 
be  remembered  when  compiling,  117- 
118;  important  questions  unan- 
swered by,  1 18-127;  suggested  econ- 
omies and  improvements  for,  128  ff. ; 
data  to  be  collected  for,  128-129; 
question  of  annual  publication  of,  129; 


conditions  under  which  primary  data 
are  collected  for,  129-134;  economy 
in  publication  of  statistical  tables  in, 
134-135;  a  practical  study  of  one 
report,  151  ff.;  possibilities  of,  151- 
152;  technical  methods  in,  152;  al- 
phabetical topical  index  for,  153; 
typographical  technique  of,  153; 
condensation  in,  154-156;  summary 
tables  in,  156-159;  classification  of 
totals  in,  159-160;  uniformity  in 
reports  from  districts  urged,  160-161 ; 
averages  in,  misleading,  161-162; 
comparison  of  school  with  school,  162 ; 
questions  which  might  be  asked  by 
readers  of,  163 ;  explanation  of  school 
needs  in,  163-164;  cost  of  schools  as 
given  in  New  York  report,  164-166; 
school  mortality  accounted  for  in, 
167-168;  school  census  in,  168-171; 
physical  needs  of  children  according 
to  New  York  report,  171-175;  the 
circulation  of,  176-177;  attitude  of, 
toward  the  community  interested, 
177-178;  results  that  may  be  ex- 
pected from,  178. 
Seating  capacity,  reports  showing,  32, 

33- 

Service,  table  in  report  showing  term 
of,  105. 

Sittings,  table  of,  154. 

Snedden,  David  S.,  x. 

Special  classes,  questions  as  to,  answered 
and  left  unanswered  in  reports,  124- 
125. 

Springfield,  Mass.,  illustrative  tables 
from  reports  of,  30,  41,  48,  72,  81,  84, 
85-86. 

Statistics,  in  school  reports,  3-4;  inter- 
pretation an  important  feature  of,  6, 
136;  primary  aim  of  educational,  to 
present  fuller  answers  to  possible 
questions  at  less  expenditure  of  time 
and  money  than  now,  9;  in  early 
school  reports,  13-18;  in  reports 
since  1870,  18-19;  consideration  of 
subject  of,  by  National  Educational 
Association,  20-24;  report  of  Com- 
missioner Harris  on,  25;  of  high 
schools,  25-26;  interest  taken  in,  by 
Commissioner  Elmer  E.  Brown,  26; 
illustrative  tables  of  methods  of  pre- 
senting, 28-115;  regarding  school 
plant,  29-33;  of  attendance,  32,  52- 
57,  146-150;  of  class  rooms,  32;  of 
seating  capacity,  32,  33;  of  cost  of 


INDEX 


183 


school  buildings,  33 ;  of  cost  of  edu- 
cation, 34-45;  in  the  school  census, 
45-52;  of  age  of  pupils,  58-63;  of 
promotions,  63-69,  87-8S;  of  per- 
sistency of  attendance  ("survival"), 
69-78;  of  compulsory  attendance, 
79-83;  of  high  schools,  83-90;  of 
evening  schools,  90-95;  vacation 
schools,  95-98;  of  playgrounds,  96- 
97;  of  school  libraries,  98-100;  of 
medical  inspection  of  schools,  loi- 
103;  of  teachers,  103-106;  of  school 
receipts  and  expenditures,  110-112; 
suggestions  as  to  what  data  should  be 
collected,  128-129;  economies  sug- 
gested in  methods  of  collecting,  129- 
134;  economy  which  might  be  prac- 
ticed in  publication  of  tables  of,  in 
reports,  134-135;  of  fuel  consumption, 
137-138;  improvement  in  classifica- 
tion of,  138-143;  giving  facts  regard- 
ing each  individual  pupil  (card 
record),  143  ff. ;  necessity  of  classify- 
ing totals  in  giving,  159-160. 

Summary  tables  in  reports,  36-37, 
107-115,    156-159. 

Superintendent  of  schools,  origins  of 
ofl&ce  of,  1 1 ;  circulation  of  school 
facts  by  report  of,  176-177. 

Survival,  statistics  of,  69-78.  See 
Persistency  of  attendance. 

Syracuse,  N.Y.,  first  school  report  pub- 
hshed  in  (1847),  12;  statistical  fea- 
tures of  20th  school  report  of  (1867), 
14-15- 


Tables,    illustrating    methods   used    in 

school  reports,  28-115;    economy  in 

pubUcation  of  statistical,   134-135. 
Tjlx,  school,  of  New  York  City,  152. 
Teachers,  statistics  of,  in  reports,  103- 

106. 
Text-books,  free,  cost  of,  shown  in  table 

in  school  report,  41. 
Totals,  classification  of,  159-160. 
Trachoma,  medical  inspection  for,  173. 
Truancy,  79-83,  147,  148;   questions  as 

to,  answered  and  left  unanswered  in 

reports,  123-124. 
Tuition,    cost    of,    shown    in    table   in 

school  report,  42. 
Typographical  technique  of  reports,  153. 

Uniformity  in  presenting  school  sta- 
tistics, efforts  after,  20-27. 

Vacation  schools,  statistics  of,  in  re- 
ports, 95-98;  important  questions 
to  be  answered  regarding,  126;  treat- 
ment of  subject  in  specimen  New 
York  City  report,  164,  177-178. 

Washington,    D.C.,    illustrative    tables 

from  reports  of,  87. 
Wilmington,  tables  from  reports  of,  55, 

86. 
Winship,  A.  E.,  quoted,  24. 
Withdrawal  of  pupils,  statistics  of,  in 

reports,  69-78. 
Woods,  Halle  D.,  ao. 


PIONEER  HISTORY  SERIES 

By  CHARLES  A.  McMURRY 

Designed  as  a  complete  series  of  early  history  stories  of  the  Eastern, 
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